The Butterfly Effect
by RankoFan
Summary: For as long as she could remember, Ranma had always felt something was wrong, that she wasn't who she was meant to be. It wasn't until her fateful trip to Jusenkyo at the conclusion of the training trip that everything began to change. Struggling to find happiness in the face of opposition, Ranma discovers surprises she could never have imaginined while carrying a deep dark secret.
1. Jusenkyo's Blessing

Disclaimer:

Sadly, I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima, or the colorful characters Rumiko Takahashi created for us. I have been planning a transgender story for awhile now and have finally decided to try it. Unlike other stories using this same premise, this will not be a simple retelling of the manga. There will be canon events; however, they are not the focus of this story. There will be a number of plots and sub-plots that play out as Ranma discovers who and what she really is as opposed to what she had been led to believe growing up. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language#, *panda signs*, "spoken", '_thoughts_', [_telepathic messages_]

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**The Butterfly Effect**

Prologue

_Jusenkyo's "Blessing"_

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**(Tuesday, March 31****st****, 1992, Very Late Evening)**

Deep within the Mount Quanjing region of western China, a fourteen-year-old boy named Ranma Saotome was laying within his tent trying in vain to fall asleep. The boy in question wasn't particularly tall, reaching only five feet five inches in height with light blue eyes and shoulder-blade length jet black hair tied off at the neck. Due to his active martial arts lifestyle, he was fairly strong and well toned.

It was just another night following yet another day of hearing his father Genma go on and on about how some 'legendary' training ground would finally make a man out of him. He'd heard the same spiel every day for the last ten years and was more than sick of the tripe. He was a man damn it! Just because he didn't act like a slobbering Neanderthal didn't mean he wasn't a man. Still, he had to at least pretend to pay attention or else the man beat it into him. He was at the point where he just wanted their trip finished so he could return home and have some semblance of a normal life.

Sighing in frustration, Ranma cursed his sleeplessness and crawled out of his tent before wandering down the embankment towards a small pond they had camped beside for the evening. According to the old man they would arrive at Jusenkyo sometime the next morning. He was fairly certain it would wind up being nothing but a waste of time or worse, something horrible would happen that was completely avoidable.

He knelt beside the pond and sighed as he idly ran his fingers through the placid cold water. He watched with fascination as the ripples spread slowly across the water's surface before slowly bleeding away into nothing. Staring at the crescent moon's reflection, Ranma felt his eyes begin to sting with unshed tears as he thought, '_I just hope this Jusenkyo place is our last stop. I'm tired of wandering all over the place with only the stupid old man for company. I want to go home; it's been too long since I've felt like I belonged anywhere or even had a friend..._'

The Saotome heir felt a tear slip down his cheek and violently shook his head as he mentally chastised himself, '_No, you can't cry Ranma! Pop will just beat on you again if he catches you crying. "A martial artist's life is fraught with peril..." "Are you a man or are you a weak and pathetic little girl?" "Men don't cry boy!" "You shame your mother's memory girl, she wanted you to be a real man but instead all she got was a flower sniffing sissy!"_'

Staring at his reflection for several minutes, the junior martial artist sighed heavily and wondered, '_Why does Pop call me a girl? I may not have much experience with them, but I'm pretty sure I don't act like one. Granted, I've never been particularly macho, something the idiot seems to delight in reminding me of on a regular basis, but that doesn't make me a girl. Besides, if that fat ass thinks the way he acts is manly, I'd just assume have nothing to do with it anyway._'

Ranma had no idea how long he remained by the water's edge, pondering his past and hopes for the future. Eventually he decided he needed to clean up and return to bed or else he'd likely have to answer some uncomfortable questions in the morning. Once he was safely in bed within his tent, the fourteen-year-old rolled onto his side and pleaded with the kami above to release him from the living hell that had been his life for the last ten years. Closing his eyes, he eventually drifted off to sleep having no idea how many times he had prayed the same prayer night after night with nary a response.

* * *

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**(Wednesday, April 1****st****, 1992, Early Morning)**

Early the next morning, Ranma groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. After laying in his bedroll for several minutes, he decided to get up and crawled out of his tent only to sigh in relief when he heard his father snoring nearby. The dark-haired youth stretched and looked around the early morning sky that was quickly getting brighter with the rising sun. Between the crystal-clear pond, the dawn light and the numerous snow-capped mountains surrounding the valley, the view was rather picturesque. It was rare and peaceful times like this Ranma didn't mind the training trip. He had seen a lot of beautiful sights over the years that he treasured in place of friends and family. They were a poor substitute, but it was all he had.

He spent several minutes basking in his natural surroundings before finally deciding to take care of some pressing business while he could enjoy the peace and quiet. Once he was finished, Ranma glanced at the pond again and smirked as an evil idea popped into his head. Genma tended to either kick him out of bed or throw cold water on him to wake him up in the mornings for their pre-breakfast spar. Perhaps it was time for a little revenge.

'_Payback's a bitch Pop,_' Ranma thought maliciously with a snicker as he threw a bucket of freezing water onto his slumbering father.

"Aiieeeeee, that's cold!" Genma screeched before glaring at his son from where he lay in his bedroll completely soaked.

"What's that Pop? You scream like a _girl_ and you dare call yourself a man?" the black-haired youth sneered.

Genma surged to his feet and charged his son intent on pounding the boy into the ground. The two martial artists spent the next several minutes viciously attacking one another with an assortment of kicks, punches and throws as they tried to one up the other. He didn't know why Ranma had suddenly decided to take things up a notch, but it was obvious something must have snapped within the boy since this was no ordinary morning spar. This was a fight, Ranma having decided to go all to vent some of his frustrations on the source of the majority of his problems.

Ten minutes later, two groaning and badly bruised males were lying on the ground trying to catch their breath. Genma rolled to a sitting position and looked at his son with a proud smile on his face. Finally, the boy was becoming a man even though it would've been better if they'd saved the fight for Jusenkyo, not when they still had to walk several hours to get there.

"Come along boy, we'll need to eat breakfast and head out if we're going to reach Jusenkyo today," the elder Saotome said as he shuffled towards his backpack and pulled out some rice packets.

"Sure Pop, whatever you say," Ranma replied tiredly as he rolled to a sitting position. Despite aching all over, he couldn't help but grin when he noticed his father's injuries. Nothing was different, not really, except for perhaps a smidge of begrudging respect between the two of them.

* * *

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Several hours later, the Saotomes came upon a misty valley filled with hundreds of springs with bamboo poles sticking out of them. As they took in the sight, a portly man wearing a dark green Chinese Mao suit and hat with a red star walked out a nearby cabin and greeted them in broken Japanese.

"Here Sirs, welcome to famous training grounds of cursed springs, Jusenkyo," the man said as he bowed with a hint of amusement in his eyes. He wondered if the strangers would listen to him and avoid getting cursed. For some reason he doubted it. No one ever did.

_'__**This**__ is the "legendary" training ground Pops was so desperate to find? We could've done stuff like this in Japan,_' Ranma thought with disdain as he looked at the springs and bamboo poles with a bored expression on his face. He understood the point easily enough, aerial combat being the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts specialty after all.

Genma set his backpack down and looked at his reticent son for a moment before asking, "Are you prepared Ranma?"

Ranma just shrugged as he set his pack on the ground and scoffed, "Aw man, this place ain't near as bad as I thought it'd be."

The guide started panicking and waved his arms as he said, "Oh Sirs, you very strange ones. This place very dangerous, no one use now. More than one hundred springs here and each have own tragedy!"

The elder Saotome just scoffed and leapt onto a pole over a nearby spring before shouting, "Ranma, follow me!"

"Right behind you," Ranma yelled back as he leapt onto a pole opposite his father.

The guide shook his head at his guests' actions and yelled, "Oh sirs! What you doing? I no finish my tragic story!"

Genma ignored the portly man below and growled at his son, "I won't go easy on you boy!"

Ranma just laughed, his voice dripping with arrogance as he sneered, "That's just the way I like it."

The two martial artists leapt at one another simultaneously and traded blows as they clashed in mid-air before landing on their opponent's original pole.

"Oh Sirs, very bad you fall in spring!" the guide shouted nervously and shook his head in resignation as his guests continued to ignore him.

The Saotome males looked at one another warily for a few moments before leaping at one another again. This time, Ranma used his hands to push off Genma's body in order to gain a little more altitude. Reorienting himself in a blink an eye, he drove his foot down into his father's back and knocked the balding man into the pool below them. He then landed softly on another pole and smirked as he said, "Gotcha."

Ranma looked down at the churning water below and wondered what was taking his father so long to resurface. Rather than show concern, the junior martial artist chuckled before asking in a condescending tone, "What's the matter Pop, done already?"

Without warning, a large panda leapt out of the spring growling as though it wanted to take someone's head off. Unbelievably, the ungainly beast was somehow able to balance on a pole without causing it to break under its weight. Genma-panda glared at his son angrily and growled as the boy stammered in surprise, "W-What the hell is that?"

The Chinese man pulled a sign out from behind his back and said, "That one Shonmaonīchuan, Spring of Drowned Panda. Very tragic story of panda that drown 2,000 year ago. Legend say, whoever fall in spring take body of panda."

Ranma started panicking as his eyes widened in disbelief, scarcely believing not only was magic real but his father had dragged them to a cursed training ground. Then again, the idea Genma would charge into a situation without knowing all the facts wasn't unusual. He quickly traded glances with the guide and the panda before yelling, "Hey buddy, you never said anything about that to us..."

Suddenly the giant panda surged forward and lashed out with a punch, blasting the shocked teenager off his perch. Ranma screamed in terror as he flew through the air for a few seconds before splashing head first in another spring. As he sank towards the bottom, the junior martial artist started feeling the freezing water of the Nyannīchuan pierce his body and numb his limbs. It didn't take long before he became acutely aware of a strange tingling sensation spreading throughout his body.

The Saotome heir just shook his head in disbelief. Did he really get knocked into a spring by a panda, an honest to kami panda wearing a dougi that was obviously too small for it? It was impossible wasn't it? There was no such thing as magic, let alone springs that turned men into animals, right? Figuring he had to be losing his mind after being hit in the head one too many times, Ranma started swimming towards the surface so he wouldn't drown. A few moments later, he broke the surface of the spring and began treading water even as he felt a curious sensation on his chest.

"Ah too bad, Mr. Customer fall in Nyannīchuan, Spring of Drowned Girl," the guide said with a chuckle. "Very tragic legend of young woman who drown 1,500 year ago. Now whoever fall in spring take body of young woman."

Ranma blinked in confusion, certain he hadn't heard the man correctly and gasped in shock when he looked down at his, or rather her, body. She felt her mind go blank when she pulled open her dougi and noticed two large mounds of flesh where a flat washboard chest had been moments before. Breasts? She had two fully formed and relatively large breasts? What about... Closing her eyes, Ranma gingerly reached into her pants and found to her consternation she no longer possessed a certain bit of male anatomy.

"What the hell?" the neo-girl shrieked only to freeze at the high-pitched sound of her new voice.

Genma could only watch in horror as his worst nightmare became reality, his son had become a girl. Despite his child's outburst, he wasn't sure whether he should run or wait to see how the boy reacted. Sometimes it seemed like Ranma wanted to be a girl. Other times, like that morning, he could feel proud of the man his son had become. It was almost like the boy was two completely different people. The question was who was treading water fifty feet away. Was it the man he had raised who would likely try to kill him for turning him into a girl or was it the flower sniffing sissy he had tried desperately to turn into a man so many times over the years.

Ignoring her father for the moment, Ranma quickly made her way out of the spring and adjusted her dougi before kneeling beside the small body of water to look at her reflection. Compared with her former male body, which hadn't been that tall to begin with, she was short, quite petite really and likely not even five feet in height. Her light blue eyes had darkened to a mysterious deep blue that seemed to shine with an otherworldly light. In addition to her attention-grabbing eyes and impressive bust, she had fiery red hair along with a light dusting of freckles on her cheeks which were both fairly rare for someone of Japanese descent.

'_I can't believe that moron cursed me to become a girl,_' the redhead thought angrily as she turned to glare at her father. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed the panda was just standing there staring at her. Had the old fool known this was going to happen? That didn't seem likely considering how often he badgered her about acting like a man and not as he put it: a flower sniffing sissy. Deciding she didn't want to deal with the man turned beast, the neo-girl thought she could have a little fun freaking him out instead.

Genma watched anxiously as his child started walking towards him with an unreadable expression on her angelic face. His eyes widened in shock when he noticed the girl's physical features, particularly the flaming red hair and heart shaped face reminiscent of his wife Nodoka. The girl was shorter and more endowed than his wife but there was no questioning her lineage. The redhead was a Saotome female through and through. The fact she was walking towards him slowly and purposefully while saying nothing was more frightening than if she were to charge him while screaming, "You turned me in a girl, I'll kill you for this Pop!"

Ranma suppressed her anger as best she could as she slowly walked towards her father before stopping a few paces away. The two Saotomes stared at one another for nearly a minute before she suddenly leapt at the panda and tried to wrap her smaller arms around his bulk. Switching to feminine speech, the redhead buried her face in his furry belly and started crying as she exclaimed, "Thank you Daddy! Thank you so much for helping me become a real girl, you have no idea what this means to me. I love you, Father."

The elder Saotome was at a loss and just stared at the petite redhead trying to hug him, completely thrown by his child's actions and words. For starters, Ranma hadn't called him anything but 'Pop' or 'old man' since the NekoKen disaster when he was six. It was around then the boy had stopped showing him any kind of affection and he honestly couldn't remember if he'd ever heard his child say he loved him since they'd left home a decade earlier. He suspected Ranma still resented him for taking him away from his mother because he believed the boy needed to be away from all feminine influences to become a man amongst men. Not that it seemed to have helped; the boy was perhaps even more girlish now than he'd ever been back then. Of course, the fact Ranma was a girl probably had a lot to do with it.

"Growff? (Ranma?)" Genma-panda asked in his incomprehensible animal language.

"I forgive you Daddy," the neo-girl said quietly and slowly backed away as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. Ranma didn't understand why she was crying and figured it had to be a girl thing. It was as though all of the emotions she had suppressed over the years were suddenly pouring out of her at once. Was she happy? Was she upset? She wasn't sure, her emotions were all over the place and she was so confused she had no idea what she was truly feeling.

It was too much. Genma backpedaled from his son turned daughter, a wild look in his eyes before he ran as though hounds from Hell were chasing him. Ten years, he had spent ten years trying to make a man out of his semi-girlish son and with one dip in a strange spring it was all undone. How could he return home now? There was no chance Nodoka would consider Ranma a man amongst men, not with the boy's curse and attitude. Perhaps he could hide with his old training partner Soun but that presented problems as well. Would he be able to engage the boy to one of his friend's daughters and join the schools like they had originally planned nearly twenty years ago?

Stamping down her wild emotions as best she could, at least until she'd had a chance to sort through them, Ranma burst out laughing and wiped the tears from her eyes as she watched her father run off. '_That should keep the jackass out of my hair for awhile. Who knows, maybe he'll even leave for good and I won't have to put up with his stupid "man amongst men" crap anymore. Kami-sama that's so annoying. I may be a man but what he wanted me to become is so ridiculous it's funny. Besides, it isn't like he's a good example of how a man should behave anyway._'

With a new spring in her step, the redhead skipped over to their packs and grunted when she tried to pick hers up. She frowned when she realized how much weaker she was in her female form and muttered darkly, "This better not be permanent or I may have to kill the panda for real, endangered species or not."

* * *

Ranma growled in irritation as she half carried, half dragged her father's pack into the cabin and dropped it in the corner of the common room beside her own. She couldn't help but wonder whether the man was carrying rocks in his pack or if she really was that much weaker than she was used to. Her pack hadn't been too bad, just a little on the heavy side but manageable. The neo-girl sighed as she knelt beside her pack and started looking through it to make sure she had everything she would need for her long journey home. Once finished with that, she searched her father's pack for anything of interest or value.

Finding a faded 4x6 photo, the redhead gasped as she stared at a picture of a beautiful auburn-haired woman in her late 20's wearing a very becoming and flowery light blue kimono. The woman was smiling gently and looked to be at peace, her soft brown eyes warm and inviting.

"Mother?" Ranma whispered as she stared longingly at the older woman. Her eyes began to sting as long forgotten memories of her pre-training trip life started bubbling to the surface. Oh Kami-sama how she missed her mother and desperately hoped the woman was still alive. Flipping the picture over, she noticed her father's messy handwriting and read, "Nodoka Saotome, March 21st, 1982, Nerima, Tokyo, Japan."

Ever since Genma had spirited her away and forced the decade long training trip from hell on her, Ranma had desperately wanted to reunite with her mother. From what little she could remember, Nodoka was a wonderful and caring young woman who wanted to spend all her free time with her. The auburn-haired woman would hold her in tender embraces and read to her even though she didn't really understand what her mother was saying. The two of them would often play together, whether they were simple games of 'peek-a-boo' or 'patty cake' to more complicated games such as 'memory' using various shapes and colors. She would often 'help' her mother in the garden by running around digging holes while the older woman 'cleaned up' by planting her flowers. Mother and child had spent most of their time together until one fateful day shortly before her fifth birthday.

Ranma sighed heavily, her deep blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she turned the photo back over and stared at her mother's face. A tear slipped down her cheek as she thought despondently, '_Mother, why did you let the old man take me away? Did I do something wrong, is that why you didn't want me anymore? I'm sorry for whatever I did that made you stop loving me..._'

"Ah, Mr. Customer back, good," the Chinese man said cheerfully when he walked into the room a few minutes later, drawing his crying guest out of her reverie. Pouring some water into a kettle and placing it on the stove, the guide continued, "This one explains how Jusenkyo curse usually work. Cold water activate curse while hot water restore birth form but only until hit with cold water again. There no known cure though possible women of Nyucheizu know more. If find way to avoid water, can remain in form you want, choice yours. No have to change though curse tend to attract water."

"So, I'm not permanently a girl then," the redhead deadpanned using masculine speech as she sat at the common room table, finding it peculiar she didn't feel more relieved. Shouldn't she be happy she wasn't stuck as a girl? She was a guy after all. Instead, she felt a growing conflict within her heart and mind. Some part of her deep down was ecstatic she was a girl and noticed she was more comfortable with her body than she'd ever felt in the past while the rest of her just seemed lost and confused. Why would she feel _more_ comfortable as a girl? That didn't make any sense whatsoever to her at all.

Ranma laid her head on the table and sighed, idly running her fingers along its rough wooden surface as she considered her feelings while years of 'man amongst men' propaganda fought against her burgeoning sense of self. For years she had felt something was wrong, that things weren't quite how they were meant to be but she'd never known how to deal with it. She hadn't even known how to define the problem, let alone figure out a solution. Talking to her father sure hadn't helped. Every time she had brought it up the man just yelled at her to stop 'acting like a girl' and had either beaten her severely or found some new sadistic training method to subject her to. Eventually she had just stopped talking about it.

Once the kettle was ready, the guide walked up to his guest and asked, "Mr. Customer want hot water?"

"Huh? What?" the redhead asked in confusion as she stared at her host with a bewildered look on her face. She had completely forgotten the man was preparing a kettle to change her back. After contemplating her conflicting feelings for several seconds, she finally nodded having decided she needed to know exactly how her curse worked and what she could expect from then on.

The Chinese man raised an eyebrow at his guest's hesitation but shrugged it off as he poured the hot water over her head. He watched as the girl grew larger and more muscular, her feminine curves disappearing as her hair turned black and she returned to her male form.

"Mr. Customer alright?" the guide asked nervously when he noticed his guest's demeanor hadn't changed and the boy still looked pensive.

"Fine," Ranma replied flatly. His stomach decided to take advantage of the growing silence and growled. When the man started chuckling he blushed and buried his face in his hands, causing the guide to laugh even harder.

"Mr. Customer want something to eat, yes? Have soup, fish and bread," the Chinese man asked in amusement as he rummaged through the cabinets looking for his remaining foodstuffs. Frowning at his low stocks, he decided he would offer to lead his guests to the nearby Amazon village where he could restock his supplies.

"Yeah, that'd be great," the black-haired boy answered distractedly as he continued to ponder his dilemma. Along with a growing sense of confusion, he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable in his male form. Where were these feelings coming from and what did it mean? Was the curse itself trying to force him to be a girl or was it something deeper? Was it him, _her_?

Once lunch was ready, the guide served himself and his guest a bowl of soup, some bread and a side of fish. As they ate in silence, Ranma couldn't help but think about his companion's earlier words and how his new curse worked. How he could theoretically remain female for the rest of his life if he chose provided he could avoid hot water. As much fun as he'd had scaring the old man by acting incredibly girlish, or at least what he thought might be girlish, he didn't know enough about being a girl for real due to minimal exposure to them over the years. Besides, being a guy was all he knew and he was mostly comfortable as one, his earlier confusion notwithstanding. Why would he even _want_ to be a girl?

As the meal progressed Ranma grew steadily more uncomfortable and couldn't stop fidgeting. He was anxious to put as much distance between himself and his father as he possibly could. Now that he knew what his mother looked like and where she lived, or at least where she had lived before the training trip, he wanted nothing more than to go home. He hoped the woman would be able to accept him as a son who sometimes changed into a girl or a daughter, who was sometimes a boy…

"Is Mr. Customer alright?" the guide asked in concern when he noticed his guest was having trouble staying still.

"I'm fine, just a little anxious to get on the road and away from Pop," Ranma replied as he glanced at the open doorway leading outside. "No telling what _brilliant_ idea the idiot will think of next and I'd just assume not be around to find out."

"What about the Joketsuzoku? Thought Sir wanted to speak with them about curse," the Chinese man asked quietly.

"I do," the junior martial artist said only to sigh in resignation as he shook his head. "Let me guess, you don't want to lead me to the village without the stupid panda."

"Sir correct, this one would prefer he not remain."

"Fine, I guess I can put up with the moron for a few more days," Ranma grumbled irritably before marching towards the sink in order to turn himself into his female form.

"What Sir doing?"

"As long as I have to stick around for a bit, I might as well take advantage of it and see what this form is capable of," the redhead replied using masculine speech as she dried off her face with a nearby towel. "Even if we both hate the fact we're cursed now, it won't stop the panda from trying to take advantage of my weakness."

"Does Sir really believe being woman is weakness?" the Chinese man asked nervously. "Joketsuzoku womens take offense to that kind of thinking."

"Best not let Pop speak around them then, he won't be able to keep his big mouth shut," Ranma replied with a toothy grin as she briefly considered her own position on the matter. Not ready to face her own misogyny, the neo-girl shook her head and sighed as she continued, "Whether or not these women are weaker than men doesn't really matter, I just know that it's true in my case. Take my pack for instance, as a guy I barely notice its weight. As a girl, it's too heavy and I doubt I'll be able to carry it for long without having to stop and rest."

* * *

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* * *

Meanwhile, a sixteen year old boy named Ryoga Hibiki was standing atop a cliff overlooking the valley of Jusenkyo and sighed when he noticed hundreds of little pools dotting the landscape below. His hated enemy, Ranma Saotome, was somewhere nearby he just knew it. The moderately tall and muscular boy was clad in dark green pants and a yellow sleeveless tunic. He wore a black and yellow bandana in his messy black hair and shouldered a massive backpack with a red umbrella on top. The eternal lost boy raised his fist to the heavens, ready to condemn the Saotome heir for running out on their man to man fight when the ground started shaking beneath his feet. He turned only to see a very large panda charging towards him on its hind legs.

'_What the...?_' the lost boy thought frantically as he tried to dodge out of the way of the charging ursine. Unfortunately for him, he was just a little too slow and one of the panda's front paws casually batted him aside only to cause him to plummet towards the valley below. He screamed in terror as he fell towards the springs before tucking his body into a ball and hoped he would absorb the shock across his legs and posterior as opposed to the more sensitive portions of his body.

Ryoga plunged into the freezing pond with a huge splash and grit his teeth in pain, it was like hitting concrete! As the icy water invaded every pore of his body, he felt a strange tingling sensation as the magic of the spring twisted and perverted his body into that of a small animal. The lost boy had no idea what was happening to him, he only knew that his body was a lot smaller and differently configured. Summoning up every ounce of his remaining strength, he struggled to swim to the surface and hoped he wouldn't drown.

Swimming towards the edge of the spring, the lost boy looked around and squealed in shock. Not only did his backpack look monstrous from his new perspective, the world itself looked quite a bit larger than he was used to which made him feel very small and vulnerable. A situation he was unaccustomed with and rather poorly equipped to handle at the moment. Ryoga sighed deeply as he looked at his trotters and wondered what sort of animal he had become. Whatever it was, it was small, covered with a leathery hide and about the size of a rabbit.

His introspections were interrupted when he was suddenly plucked off the ground by a pair of claws and found himself staring at the panda that had run him off the cliff in the first place. Ryoga shuddered when the large ursine started licking its lips in a most disturbing manner.

Genma-panda hurried towards the guide's cabin with what he hoped would be a decent meal for the first time in weeks. He was getting tired of trail rations, berries and the tiny fish his son could catch during their trip through the Chinese wilderness. He considered the piglet in his claws and wondered how it would taste. Maybe it would be just the thing to raise his spirits after the horrific day he'd had to endure so far. His heir was now a girl, totally unsuitable for carrying on the Anything Goes style of Martial Arts and he was a panda!

'_There better be a cure or else I won't be able to marry him off to one of Soun's daughters and enjoy my well-deserved retirement,_' Genma thought with a shudder as he remembered the seppuku pledge he and his son had signed before they left. Given Ranma's age at the time, his 'signature' was a handprint and the boy had no idea what he had 'signed'. It was his hope that if Ranma were married, Nodoka would consider him manly despite the curse and the pledge would be satisfied.

"What Mr. Customer have there?" the portly Chinese man asked as he turned his attention towards the door when he heard the panda walk in carrying a small struggling animal. He pulled out a cleaver and a two-prong fork and began scraping them together as he said, "Ah Sir, that look like delicious piglet. I make sweet and sour pork for you."

While Genma was busy tying the struggling animal to a cooking spit above a pot of boiling water, the guide started sharpening his cleaver and continued, "Here in Jusenkyo exists cursed spring Heitowennīchuan, Spring of Drowned Black Piglet. Legend say black piglet drown in spring 1,200 year ago. Now whoever fall in spring take body of black piglet."

A few moments later the fire was ready, and the portly Chinese man held up the piglet as he said, "Maybe this one human no?" Ryoga nodded his head vigorously before the guide continued, "I make funny joke yes?"

Genma, who was sitting at the table ready to eat, started chuckling when the Jusenkyo guide dropped the small animal into the boiling pot of water.

Ryoga instantly transformed and screamed as he jumped out of the pot, knocking it onto the floor and spilling its contents in the process. The lost boy, who was quite red from the scalding water and his own anger, bolted from the guide's cabin in a desperate attempt to get away while hoping he could find his pack and put some clothes on. Despite wanting revenge on his rival, being nearly boiled alive tended to change one's priorities at least in the short term. He continued to run as he shouted angrily, "Damn you Saotome! I'll see you in Hell for this!"

* * *

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* * *

While Genma and the guide were busy trying to cook a certain lost boy, Ranma had wandered around outside for awhile before stumbling upon a small clearing nearby. Due to the heavy foliage surrounding the area, she couldn't see much beyond the clearing but was reasonably certain she'd be able to sense anyone who approached. Despite wanting to start her journey home, she knew she needed to know what her female body was capable of. It wasn't a matter of _if_ her father would attack her; it was a question of when.

Ranma spent several minutes loosening up her muscles as she considered everything she had experienced as a girl so far. One of the first things she'd noticed, other than the obvious height/reach differences and breasts she had to figure out how to balance, was how soft and sensitive her skin was. It was as though her body was more like that of an ordinary teenaged girl and she had never trained as a martial artist at all.

'_Hmm, that's going to be a problem. Panda-baka isn't likely to go easy on me and it's almost as though I've never done this before,_' Ranma thought worriedly as she tried a beginner kata. Unfortunately, she was incredibly clumsy and her body protested the strange movements and positions. To make matters worse, the gentle river of warmth she was accustomed to feeling within her body was mostly gone. She wasn't sure whether her clumsiness was due to her new body, the loss of chi or both. To make things even more confusing, she could feel a different type of energy flowing throughout her body as well. While her chi was warm and soothing, this new energy was cold and sluggish but oddly comforting which she thought was strange. Whatever it was, it didn't flow through her body quite the same way and as a result, her movements weren't nearly as fluid as they'd been earlier that morning.

'_So, compared to my male form I'm clumsy, weak and in poor physical condition. Pop will love that,_' the redhead mused with a grimace as she continued to struggle with her beginner kata. She knew she needed to get stronger and adapt to her female body, there was simply no way she could guarantee she'd be able to do all her fighting as a male. In fact, given her father's propensity for cheap tricks, she suspected the panda would purposely attack her as a girl just to 'prove' females were inferior to men. They were reasonably matched in their original forms, but their curse forms were another story. While her father had gained substantial strength and reach as a panda, she had lost most hers becoming a girl.

As the morning wore on, Ranma discovered her initial assessment of her abilities was correct. Because her body was that of someone who had never done martial arts before, she found it difficult to get it to perform. Utilizing what little chi she possessed helped a little but ultimately it was due to her body's lack of muscle memory and a different sense of balance that really handicapped her abilities. While she was still weak and in poor physical condition, at least compared with her birth form, once her body started cooperating she wasn't nearly as clumsy and could reasonably flow from one form to the next. Once she was no longer tripping over her own two left feet, she discovered she was quite a bit faster than she'd been as a guy.

* * *

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* * *

Ryoga was nervous. Not only was he lost, which wasn't all that unusual, he was stark naked in the middle of a forest without any of his supplies. The only saving grace was the area didn't seem heavily populated with wildlife or civilization. After being nearly boiled alive, he had run with the hope he could make it back to the spring where he'd left his pack. He sighed dejectedly as he looked around in dismay, no sign of the pools that had caused his latest misfortune anywhere. Realizing he would never find his belongings standing still, the lost boy picked a random direction and started walking.

As he walked along, his sharp ears detected what sounded like heavy breathing. Ryoga froze and closed his eyes as he listened more intently to discern what he had heard. As he focused on the sound, he thought he could hear a feminine quality in the unknown being's breathing.

'_Great, I'm naked and there's a female nearby who won't appreciate me barging in on them,_' the Hibiki heir thought anxiously as he crouched low to the ground. Still, he was too curious to turn back, and it was possible the person would be able to direct him towards the springs so long as he didn't expose himself.

After a few minutes of duck waddling closer, Ryoga was forced to stop because the foliage he was using for cover suddenly gave way to a small clearing. The teenager froze, his olive eyes widening in surprise as his gaze fell upon the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He couldn't help but stare at the petite redhead as the girl twisted and twirled in the complicated pattern of a martial arts kata. A few moments later the girl stopped and adjusted her dougi before turning to look directly at him, his breath catching in his throat as he stared into her deep blue eyes.

"Who are you and why are you watching me?" the girl demanded using feminine speech in a beautiful soprano voice as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Ryoga found he couldn't speak and started shaking with nervousness. Not only was he incredibly shy and nervous around females under the best of circumstances, he was stark naked and didn't want to discover what the girl would do to him should she find out.

"I know you're there," the redhead snapped as she started tapping her foot in aggravation.

"S-Sorry Miss, it's um, well... I-I was just wondering if you could tell me where I am," Ryoga stammered as he tried to make himself even smaller.

"Jusenkyo," the girl answered curtly. "Now, care to tell me why you're hiding in the bushes watching me?"

"Um, I'm naked..."

"Pervert!" the redhead shouted in disgust and turned to storm off towards the visitor center.

"No wait! Please. I lost my supplies near some pools, but I can't seem to find my way back..." Ryoga said urgently, hoping the girl would be willing to lead him back to the springs. "Can you help me?"

Ranma stopped and turned towards the voice as she considered the stranger's request. On the one hand, being the kind person she was, she felt she should help the poor guy out. On the other, she was very much aware of her increased vulnerability in her female form. She may be a martial artist but given her normal teenaged girl's body, Ranma knew she would have trouble preventing the guy from doing whatever he wanted and that frightened her. What if the man was lying and was just trying to lure her into leaving the relative safety of the clearing? What if he wanted to do unspeakable things to her virgin body?

"Stay away from me," the redhead demanded in a shaky voice as an icy fear gripped her heart and she started hyperventilating. She raised her hands in a warding gesture and slowly backed away from the unknown male as her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She had to get away, not just from the stranger, but Jusenkyo and her father as well. More than anything, she needed to feel safe and just wanted to go home and be with her mother.

"Um, Miss?"

"Stay away from me you pervert!" Ranma screamed in terror before sprinting from the clearing as fast as she could, tears obscuring her vision as they sparkled in her wake. Some small part of her couldn't believe that she, Ranma Saotome and man amongst men, had just run away like a scared little girl rather than stand her ground like she'd been taught. Another part of her acknowledged the fact had she encountered the stranger as a guy, she wouldn't have felt threatened or been nearly as frightened. It was a testament to how much things had truly changed for her in such a short amount of time.

* * *

Minutes later, Ranma arrived at the visitor's center completely winded and collapsed in a boneless heap. Despite knowing her physical conditioning wasn't anywhere near that of her male form, she still scowled in irritation at just how weak and out of shape she really was. She knew she would need to find time in the coming months to condition her new body and ensure she'd be able to defend herself in female form.

"Where the hell have you been _boy_?" Genma demanded angrily as he emerged from the cabin only to scowl when he noticed his child was female. He was about to chastise his son for being a weak girl when a brief flash of light caught his attention. Focusing on the redhead's face, he narrowed his eyes when he noticed the girl's shimmering eyes and tear stained cheeks.

"Training," Ranma replied anxiously as she slowly rose to her feet. She knew her father was angry but whether it was due to the fact she was female, because he had been waiting for her or a combination of the two she wasn't sure. It didn't really matter either. She just hoped they could skip the lecture and subsequent fight because she was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, from everything that had happened since that morning.

"Training? More like crying," the part time panda scoffed as he shook his head in disgust. "You're no man, you're still the same weak and pathetic flower sniffing sissy you've always been," Genma sneered as he slipped into an offensive combat stance. Without giving Ranma a chance to take her own stance, the elder Saotome leapt forward and viciously kicked his child into a nearby tree. His smile of satisfaction quickly changed into a scowl when the girl collapsed in a heap on the ground. He glared at the redhead and growled, "Get up _girl_; I didn't hit you that hard."

Ranma lay still for several moments and struggled to breathe before slowly rolling to a seated position, clutching her bruised abdomen as she winced in pain from hitting the tree. She looked up at her father, hurt and betrayal written all over her face as her deep blue eyes shimmered with more unshed tears and asked in a soft child-like voice, "Ow, what was that for Daddy?"

Genma scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head in disgust as he sneered, "Pathetic, you can't even take a hit without crying. You're nothing but a disgrace, a weak and silly little girl trying to play at being a man. I came here with someone I thought I could be proud to call my son but it's obvious he died in a horrible training accident. Ranma, my manly son, is gone and you, _girl_, are not my child. I do not know you for you are a stranger."

Now usually when the elder Saotome said things like that it goaded his son into dropping any 'girlishness' he may have been displaying and act manlier. Genma didn't really want to disown the boy, considering what his wife would do to him if he ever truly followed up on it and she found out. He just wanted Ranma to start acting like the man amongst men he had tried so hard to raise the boy to be and not, in his opinion, the weak and silly flower sniffing sissy he had taken from his wife ten years before.

"What the hell Pop?" Ranma shrieked as she slowly climbed to her feet. She turned smoldering dark blue eyes on her father and clenched her fists in anger, tears running down her cheeks as her emotional control crumbled from the strain. The redhead narrowed her eyes as a small fiery aura began forming around her lithe body. She knew she was losing control and closed her eyes as she tried to slow her breathing and regain her equilibrium.

"You are weak _girl_, you've always been weak," Genma taunted as he shook his head in disgust. "I can't believe I was foolish enough to believe _you_ could ever be heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. So long as you continue to act like the pathetic little girl you've been your entire life, you're on your own as you are dead to me. If, on the other hand, you permanently renounce your girlishness and become the man amongst men I have raised you to be, you will be welcomed as my son and a Saotome once more."

The redhead bowed her head and kept her eyes closed, her entire body trembling with a mixture of hurt, anger, and hate as her tears splashed unceremoniously on the ground at her feet. She'd heard her father say some idiotic and hurtful things over the years but never anything like this.

"Oh look, the pathetic little girl is crying, boo freaking hoo," the balding martial artist jeered before he started laughing at his son turned daughter. "You're even less of a man than I thought. You'll never amount to anything, let alone make the rank of Master, if you can't even handle a _little_ taunting or a single hit."

Ranma breathed deeply and slowly opened her eyes as the fiery aura surrounding her lithe form darkened until it was a deep purple with streaks of black lightning arcing throughout. She smiled maliciously at the sudden gasp of shock and look of absolute horror on her father's face as cold fury radiated from her body, dropping the surrounding air temperature by more than thirty degrees. Tapping into the strange energy she could feel swirling throughout her body, her normally soft and peaceful deep blue eyes darkened until they became a more demonic reddish-purple color. Her malicious smile widened into a truly wicked grin as a dark purple and black flaming ball of energy materialized in her left hand.

Drawn by the rather noisy argument between his two guests, the guide walked out of the cabin only to freeze in his tracks when he noticed the tableau occurring right outside his door. It didn't take him long to notice the dark aura surrounding his female guest. He gulped nervously and started edging away from the imminent violent encounter.

Genma found himself paralyzed with fear as he stared at his son turned daughter turned angry demon while the redhead glared at him, fury and hate clearly visible on her otherwise angelic face. Even his old master Happosai didn't frighten him this much and the old pervert was someone to fear. Despite the chill in the air, he could feel sweat beading down his forehead and started to panic as he wondered, '_How the hell did the boy learn to conjure dark fire out of thin air? Oh Kami-sama, is he really going to kill me?_'

"You are no father, you pathetic sack of shit," the redhead snarled in a low and dangerous tone. "You're nothing more than a bully who gets his jollies from torturing his own child."

"Ranma?" the elder Saotome asked in a small voice. He gulped nervously as he felt the blood drain out of his face and watched in genuine fear as his son turned daughter's demonic eyes hardened. In that moment he knew the awful truth, he knew the demon possessing his son had decided to kill him.

"Good-bye, _father_," the neo-girl said with an air of finality as she pushed her left hand forward and launched the deadly looking fireball directly at her father's chest.

Genma's eyes widened in shock moments before the dark fireball slammed into his midsection and blasted him off his feet. Kami-sama, it was like being hit by a freaking battering ram! As he flew through the air, he could scarcely believe the demon had actually gone through with its attack. He knew at least a few of his ribs were cracked if not outright broken and that didn't include what would likely happen when he landed. A few moments later he crashed headlong into the wall of the visitor center and was instantly rendered unconscious.

Ranma glared hatefully at the crumpled form of her father with contempt, part of her hoping the man would stand up so she could justify attacking him again. Once a few minutes had passed and it was obvious the part time panda wouldn't be waking up anytime in the near future, her aura faded as her eyes returned to normal and she fell to her knees. Overcome with a sudden onslaught of grief, Ranma buried her face in her hands and burst into tears.

The Jusenkyo guide was at a loss, having watched the entire confrontation and uncertain whether he should try to comfort the young woman or not. He certainly had no desire to wind up embedded in the wall like the girl's father. A couple minutes passed before the danger seemed to have passed and his paternal instincts kicked in. He thought about his daughter Plum and decided he would try to help the softly crying girl who no longer seemed to be possessed by an evil demon. He still wasn't sure what to make of the horrific scene he had witnessed and hoped the Joketsuzoku might be able to shed some light on the phenomenon.

The Chinese man knelt beside the distraught redhead and cautiously wrapped his arms around her trying to soothe her tears. Oddly enough, the girl didn't pull away and allowed him to embrace her. The two of them remained in that position for several minutes until Ranma pulled away and thanked him as she dried her tears.

"This one happy to help, Miss?" the guide asked hesitantly with a questioning look on his face as he helped the young woman to her feet.

"Yeah, I think Miss would be more accurate at this point," Ranma replied softly with a wan smile as she tried to straighten herself up. She still wasn't quite sure exactly how she felt about herself just yet, but it seemed logical to address her based on her present form rather than some vague concept of gender identity she didn't understand.

"How did Miss create aura and fire?"

"I-I… I don't know," the redhead whispered as she looked at her left hand in wonder. "I felt my anger spiraling out of control and I just wanted to shut him up. Oh Goddess, what's happening to me?"

"This one not know; perhaps Joketsuzoku have idea," the Chinese man replied somberly as he looked at the downed form of the older man. Contrary to what he had told his companion earlier about not wanting to leave the elder Saotome behind, he knew the three of them would never make it to Nyucheizu if both of them were present given their latest display of hostility towards one another. Nodding his head decisively, he decided he would lead the girl to the Amazon village without her father. Once he was satisfied she was safe, he would gather the supplies he needed and return. He hoped the panda would be gone by then.

For the next ten minutes or so, Ranma and the guide made preparations to leave. Grinning evilly, she and the Chinese man dragged Genma's unconscious form towards one of the trees just outside the clearing. Once in position, she callously tossed a cup of cold water on the overbearing tyrant and watched impassively as the fat man turned into an even fatter panda. The two of them then proceeded to tie the elder Saotome to the tree, wrapping a rope she had taken from her father's pack around his bloated body quite a few times in order to make it harder for the man to free himself.

Ranma knew her father would find a way to escape but at least they would have peace and quiet for a few hours before he caught up with them. Turning towards the guide, she bowed politely and said, "Sir, will you please lead me to the Amazon village now? I am ready to go."

The Chinese man nodded slowly and said, "Come Miss, this one show way to Nyucheizu, village of Joketsuzoku womens. Maybe we arrive on good day for seasonal tournament."

* * *

.

* * *

**_Author's Notes: _**

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it. _

_Publish Date: January 1st, 2020_


	2. New Beginnings and Discoveries

Disclaimer:

Sadly, I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima, or the colorful characters Rumiko Takahashi created for us. I have been planning a transgender story for awhile now and have finally decided to try it. Unlike other stories using this same premise, this will not be a simple retelling of the manga. There will be canon events; however, they are not the focus of this story. There will be a number of plots and sub-plots that play out as Ranma discovers who and what she really is as opposed to what she had been led to believe growing up. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language#, *panda signs*, "spoken", '_thoughts_', [_telepathic messages_]

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**The Butterfly Effect**

Chapter One

_New Beginnings and Discoveries_

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**(Wednesday, April 1****st****, 1992, Late Afternoon)**

Several hours after leaving Jusenkyo, Ranma, Genma and their guide arrived at the village of Nyucheizu. Standing behind a two-story palisade and guarding the gate were eight fierce looking women armed with halberds, glaives and other pole arms. The redhead regarded the women warily and hoped she didn't look too nervous, seeing how they towered over her diminutive form and looked strong enough to rip her in half.

During their journey, she had kept mostly to herself mentally replaying the day's events. She'd gone from waking up that morning like it was any other day to becoming cursed to change into a girl with cold water. After freaking out her father by acting cutesy, she'd then tried to leave without him but the guide had made it clear he wouldn't help if she did. The encounter with a naked male while testing her martial arts abilities had completely freaked her out and left her vulnerable to the old man's taunting once she'd returned to the visitor center.

Her emotions raw from the events of the day, Ranma finally snapped and laid him out with a dark fireball borne of her anger and hatred. While the incident had made the old man extremely cautious around her, the truth was she was scared. If she could accidentally nearly kill a seasoned martial artist like her father in anger, what would happen the next time a normal person annoyed her?

As the three of them traveled, the redhead had spent most of the trip pondering her situation and how she truly felt about her female form. While she was still a bit uncertain about the whole thing, she had come to realize she generally felt more comfortable as a girl. She still didn't understand why, it made absolutely no sense to her, but she couldn't deny how she felt either. After years of feeling something was wrong and generally uncomfortable in her own skin, she finally felt some semblance of peace with herself.

That led to stray thoughts about whether she should continue using the name Ranma when female. While it was still her legal name, as far as she was concerned 'Ranma' was a boy and a highly skilled martial artist. As a girl, she was neither. Her martial arts abilities were barely adequate due to the loss of chi and most of the physical conditioning she had acquired over the years.

Pondering the kanji in her given and family names, she realized they translated into _Wild Horse_ and _Rice Planting Girl_. The redhead couldn't help but giggle at that and wondered if she'd always been destined to become a girl. Was _that_ why her father was so determined to turn her into a 'man amongst men'? Was it his way of compensating for having such a girlish surname? After getting herself under control and debating two names for nearly an hour, she finally decided upon Ranko. She had always liked the name and it suited her well as she was a _Wild Child_ at heart.

"#Greetings warriors of the Joketsuzoku,#" the Chinese man said with a deep bow, drawing the redhead out of her thoughts. #Would it be possible for my companions to speak with an elder of the Village?#"

The Amazons examined the outsiders for a minute before finally nodding. As the gates opened, a woman with long blue hair and piercing lavender eyes said sternly, "#It's getting late for visitors but yes she may, assuming an elder wishes to make time. Remember, _you_ are responsible for her while she is here _male_. Make sure she doesn't cause trouble. You know our laws and while it isn't as common as it once was, we still give Kisses of Death.#"

The portly man nodded and motioned for his companions to follow as he said, "Must warn you, Nyucheizu very proud womens warrior society. Avoid conflict if possible. They have law here if outsider female beat Joketsuzoku, warrior give Kiss of Death. Is promise to hunt down and kill."

Ranko swallowed hard and nodded in understanding as she followed her guide towards the heart of the village. She admired the architecture of the village for several minutes as the trio walked the scarcely populated main avenue. Huts atop bamboo stilts, varying in size and design, dotted the landscape. Most of the residential structures possessed a garden where a variety of fruits and vegetables were grown though none presently seemed ripe enough to eat.

* * *

When they arrived at the village square a few minutes later, Ranko froze as she looked around in shock. From what she'd seen until then she had expected a relatively small village, perhaps a few hundred at most. Instead, the sheer number of structures sprawling every direction from the central square suggested there were well over a thousand people living within the village, let alone the outskirts. Even more disconcerting, most of them seemed to have congregated within the square for a festival of some kind.

"Ah, fortune smile we come today," the guide said cheerfully as he continued walking towards the temporary merchant stalls skirting the perimeter of the large central square. It took him several moments to realize Ranko was no longer beside him and turned to look at the stunned girl.

"Growf? (Huh?)" Genma-panda barked as he stopped and looked around for his wayward offspring.

Walking towards his female companion so he could speak without shouting, the Chinese man said, "Today Joketsuzoku womens' seasonal martial arts tournament, go watch yes? Speak with elder after."

Shaking off her temporary paralysis, Ranko looked around the square again and nodded as she noticed a large log suspended between four pillars. Curious about the structure, she pointed towards it and asked, "What's with the log bridge?"

"That where tournament held. Two warriors face each other in battle, first to knock other off wins," the guide replied. "Or knock unconscious..."

"Makes sense I suppose," the Saotome heiress mused aloud and nodded in understanding. "I doubt they'd want to risk killing their own warriors just for the sake of a tournament. Still, a knockout blow or bad fall could be potentially lethal regardless of intent. Are the matches hand to hand or do they use weapons?"

"Rare for Amazon not use weapon Miss."

"Growf! (Weaklings, relying on weapons like that!)" Genma growled as he shook his head in disgust.

Ranko gave her father a half-lidded stare and quipped, "I don't know why you bother trying to talk Pop. It's not like anyone speaks panda."

"Oh, next round about to start!" the Chinese man exclaimed as he pointed towards two women approaching the log bridge.

"_That's_ a woman?" the redhead asked incredulously as she pointed towards a tall and muscular mountain of a woman carrying a two-handed staff. Ranko grimace as she wordlessly thanked the powers above she was cute and had missed every branch of the ugly tree on her way down.

"Not very pretty no? That one much prettier yes?" the guide asked with a chuckle as he pointed at the ogress's opponent. The younger Amazon was short in comparison and dressed in a pair of magenta leggings along with a light pink long sleeved tunic covered by a red leather breast plate. The mystery girl wore her waist length lavender hair with two ornaments atop her head and wielded a pair of colorful one-handed maces.

Ranko watched as the warriors advanced on one another and clashed in the middle with their respective weapons. Neither seemed better than the other and she figured she was watching one of the final rounds. She appraised each woman's strengths and weaknesses more out of habit than any desire to fight them.

The ogress was quick, though no where near her level, but certainly fast enough to handle most opponents. With her tall stature and long limbs, the woman had the advantage in reach and power which she used efficiently in conjunction with her two-headed staff to keep the smaller girl at bay. If she had a weakness, it was tied to her strengths in that if someone breached her outer defense she'd be hard pressed to effectively counter attack.

The lavender haired girl was fast, darting in and out trying to score hits while simultaneously trying to avoid being decapitated by her opponent's staff. Ranko idly wondered how her own speed compared with the other girl. Painfully aware of her 'normal girl' level of conditioning, she doubted she would last very long against the Amazon.

After ten minutes of parrying and blocking, the smaller girl finally managed to disarm her opponent before knocking the ogress off the log. Once the mountain woman hit the ground and was declared defeated, the lavender haired girl jumped off the log and landed lightly on her feet. A middle-aged woman walked over and raised her hand, presumably declaring her the winner and the audience burst into applause. The mystery girl then walked towards a large table set off to the side and she gasped in surprise when she noticed a panda stuffing its face.

"Damn it old man, can't you go one day without causing trouble?" Ranko muttered darkly when there was a sudden explosion of angry Chinese. She groaned in irritation and traded glances with her companion before rushing towards the commotion. The Chinese man sighed in exasperation and followed so he could translate for his customers. Neither of them noticed an aged set of eyes watching them intently from atop a gnarled staff.

* * *

Elder Cologne, one of the senior matriarchs of the Joketsuzoku and member of the ruling council, noticed the look on the redhead's face and chuckled. While she wasn't sure whether the girl was a curse victim or not, the outsider seemed too comfortable with herself for a recently cursed male, she had no doubts about the panda that was acting like a human. The older woman decided she'd better investigate before things escalated out of hand.

Genma growled in his incoherent panda language as the lavender haired girl stood atop the ruined table, glaring daggers at him while holding her chuís in a defensive ready stance. That's when Ranko, the guide and Cologne arrived on the scene and took stock of the situation.

"#Xian-Pu! What is going on here?#" Cologne demanded as she scowled at the panda.

"#Great grandmother, this filthy animal was eating the feast I rightfully won as champion!#" Shampoo growled angrily, aggravation clear in her voice as she pointed her chuís at the cowering panda. "#Stupid creature, may I skin it and make a new rug for our home?#"

Neither Ranko nor Genma knew what the Chinese girl had said but the look on the guide's face told them it hadn't been pleasant. The portly man chuckled and said lightly, "Girl wishes to make panda rug out of Mr. Customer."

The redhead just snorted in amusement as Cologne turned to address her in flawless Japanese, "Welcome to the village of Nyucheizu, home of the Joketsuzoku, young one. My name is Elder Koh-Lon, and this is my great granddaughter Xian-Pu. I am one of the senior matriarchs of the tribe as well as a member of the ruling council. I was informed you wished to speak with an elder though I was not told what about. Seeing you are with the Jusenkyo guide, I believe I can hazard a guess."

The Saotomes started, their eyes widening in disbelief when they looked at Cologne and noticed a short, elderly woman wearing dark green robes with long white hair looking at them intently from atop a staff. They couldn't help but stare, Ranko never having seen anyone who looked so old nor possessed such large bug-like eyes before. Genma visibly shuddered as flashbacks of his training with an equally short, wrinkled old prune invaded his mind. He desperately hoped he would never have to see his dreaded master Happosai ever again.

The older woman cleared her throat, causing Ranko to blush in embarrassment. Once she had regained her composure, the redhead bowed politely and said, "I am deeply sorry Elder; I meant no disrespect. It's just that I've never met anyone quite like you before."

"It's alright child, I am not offended. I'm used to all manner of reactions from people, particularly outsiders," Cologne replied in a friendly alto as she looked at the girl expectantly. She had introduced herself and was waiting patiently for her guest to do the same. Silence stretched for several moments as she regarded the younger woman with a raised eyebrow.

Shampoo studied the other girl but aside from her flaming red hair and strange sense of style there didn't seem to be anything particularly special about her. She noted the girl's dougi was too large for her petite frame and provided no support whatsoever for her well-endowed chest. Based on how the girl carried herself, she wasn't sure whether the stranger was a martial artist or not but hoped they could be friends anyway.

Ranko's cheeks pinked from the Amazons' scrutiny when she realized they were waiting for her to respond. "Honored Elder, Shampoo, my name is Ranko Saotome and the annoying fleabag here is my father, Genma Saotome. As for the reason I am here, I've come in search of information and hoped I may be allowed to speak with an elder privately." She then smirked at her father and continued in a dismissive tone, "I suspect the panda wants to ask about possible cures but seeing that he is a man, even as an animal, his thoughts and wishes aren't terribly important."

"Growff? (Ranko?)" Genma asked in confusion as he regarded his son turned daughter with a puzzled expression on his face. He was so busy mulling over what his child had called herself he barely noticed he'd just been insulted and casually dismissed on account of his gender. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it, considering how often he had done the same to women over the years.

"Very well spoken Ranko-chan," Cologne said amicably before turning a steely gaze on the oversized ursine as she surreptitiously made a certain hand gesture towards a group of warriors standing nearby. "Your request is granted. We shall adjourn to my home where we can talk privately in a few minutes. There is another matter we must attend to first, namely figuring out what to do with your father. I do not want him wandering the village unsupervised; he may run afoul of our laws and find himself in a lot of trouble."

Ranko bowed in thanks before shooting her father a nasty smile as she said, "That's practically a given when it comes to that moron. He's a male chauvinist pig who believes women are generally worthless in the middle of a female dominated warrior society. I can pretty much guarantee he'll be unable to avoid saying something stupid and insulting if he's allowed to return to human form. On top of that, he's a shameless kleptomaniac and has a rather nasty habit of taking valuable 'souvenirs' from the places he's visited."

"Is that so?" the elder asked with a raised eyebrow as she nodded towards her fellow Amazons.

"Unfortunately," the redhead deadpanned before glaring at her father. "I've lost count how many times we've been run out of town over the years because of something he's said, done or stolen, usually all three. I won't presume to tell you how to treat criminals, but I would recommend you throw him in jail for the duration of our stay, just in case."

"Growff! (Boy!)" Genma barked indignantly and felt something sharp poke him in the back. He grumbled in displeasure and turned to see what had hit him only to freeze when he noticed a squadron of Amazons surrounding him. He knew he was trapped. Even if he could jump over the wall of spears he knew he'd never make it to the gates and outside the village. Not knowing what to do, the elder Saotome turned towards his child and pleaded with his eyes but all he saw on the girl's face was a cold and malicious smirk.

"I like you girl, warrior or not I can see a great deal of potential in you," Cologne said as she cackled at her guest's antics. She still wasn't sure whether Ranko was a martial artist or not, that was something they would need to discuss, but attitude wise the girl would make a wonderful Amazon.

Genma shuddered when he heard the older woman laugh and glanced at his child again, his face falling at the redhead's sadistic smile along with the maniacal gleam in the girl's demonic reddish-purple eyes. He knew that look and trembled in fear from memories of the last time he'd last seen those eyes just before he was blasted into the side of a building by a dark fireball.

"#Great Grandmother, what did she say?#" Shampoo asked as she glanced at the redhead again before quickly turning away from the creepy look she noticed in the other girl's eyes.

"#Ranko said she's seeking information, presumably about Jusenkyo curses,#" Cologne answered. #I suspect there's more though because she's asked to speak with an elder privately as well. That means no eavesdropping Xian-Pu, I mean it.#"

"#Yes, great grandmother,#" the lavender haired girl replied softly and bowed.

The Joketsuzoku elder turned to the cringing panda and grinned maliciously as she said, "Genma Saotome, know that you are under arrest for eating the championship feast. You will be detained and sentenced to public punishment so long as your daughter remains." Switching to her native tongue, Cologne barked, "#Take him to the cages!#"

Ranko eyes returned to their normal dark blue color as she watched the warriors hasten to obey their elder's command. The women prodded her father towards a collection of cages located in the public square which allowed prisoners to be publicly shamed by anyone passing by. As he trudged along, Genma felt soft splats of food hit him and growled in discontent. Since he didn't really want to wind up as panda steaks, he kept his protests limited and continued plodding along on all fours as they prodded him forward. A few minutes later he was securely imprisoned and laid down on his belly figuring he might as well sleep. That proved to be impossible. Between villagers constantly pelting him with rotten fruits and vegetables, the guards poked him with their spears if it appeared he had fallen asleep.

* * *

Once the warriors had led the panda away, Cologne motioned for her guest to follow so they could talk privately. As the two of them walked, she talked about Amazon culture and village life in general. After passing numerous huts they finally arrived at one easily three times the size of anything the redhead had seen previously. The elder smiled at her companion's reaction and asked her to sit in the living room while she prepared tea.

Ranko knelt on one of the cushions provided and looked around the room, marveling at the decor and how welcoming the home felt. She hadn't been sure what to expect from what she'd seen outside, but the house felt warm and comfortable. The Amazons seemed to prefer a simple life, but that simplicity didn't necessarily mean roughneck and backwards like she had originally thought.

"Ranko-chan, you asked to speak with an elder privately. What can I help you with?" Cologne asked as she walked into the room carrying a tea service. She set the tray on the low table and poured each of them a cup of herbal green tea. Taking a sip, the elder studied her guest as she waited patiently for the younger woman to speak.

"Elder Cologne, thank you for taking time to speak with me and welcoming me into your home," Ranko said respectfully as she bowed towards her hostess. "Before I get into what I really want to talk about, I did have one question regarding Jusenkyo curses. After our dip in the springs this morning, the guide told me there were no _known_ cures. He then suggested your tribe may know otherwise. Is there a cure?"

Cologne considered her guest with a raised eyebrow, puzzled by what she was sensing within the young woman in front of her. From what the redhead had just said, it seemed likely both she and the panda had become cursed at Jusenkyo. Coupled with the girl's peculiar outfit, she wondered if Ranko had been born male and fallen into the Nyannīchuan. If that was the case, why was her limited chi predominantly female and not in a state of chaotic flux?

Setting her thoughts aside for the moment, the Amazon turned her attention towards her guest's question and said, "I'm afraid our knowledge of the springs isn't much better than the guide's. As far as we know, there are no cures for Jusenkyo curses but that doesn't mean there aren't any. Legend says the Nannīchuan could possibly 'cure' a born male by replacing his cursed form with his normal form. Technically, he would still be cursed, but both forms would look like his birth form. The same would theoretically hold true with the Nyannīchuan for born girls. I feel I must warn you, even if your father managed to find the correct spring there's no way of knowing what the outcome would be. If he jumped into the Nannīchuan to cure his curse, he could very well find himself changed into some sort of human/panda hybrid rather than a seemingly uncursed male."

Ranko giggled at the mental image as she picked up her teacup and said, "It would serve the bastard right if he became some kind of mutant freak after everything he's done."

Cologne wasn't quite sure how to take that and asked, "If that's how you really feel about your father, why do you stay with him? I would think you'd have left him by now if he was truly that horrible to you."

The redhead sighed deeply and shook her head as she said, "He may not be a great person but he's still my father and despite everything he's done I do care about him. He's the only family I've known for the last ten years. I have no idea whether my mother is still alive and as far as I know, I don't have any other family. I just wish he could accept me for who I really am and not the 'man amongst men' he desperately wants me to be."

The elder raised an eyebrow at that and nodded as she said gently, "So my suspicions about you are correct, you were born male but identify as female. When you fell into the Nyannīchuan, you finally felt like your true self for the first time in your life which explains why your chi is stable and predominately female."

Ranko looked thoughtful for a minute as she considered the older woman's words. "I'm not sure about that honestly. Granted, until this morning I had always felt something was off, like things weren't the way they were meant to be, but I'd never thought I might really be a girl deep down. It wasn't until Jusenkyo I began to understand and even then, I wasn't sure _what_ I was feeling. I was so confused. Once I had spent some time as a girl and thought about things, I started noticing those feelings of being 'wrong' were disappearing. I finally felt 'right', but I was also afraid it was the curse trying to force me to stay female, not because it might actually be _me_."

Cologne took a deep breath and said, "Ranko-chan, you should know you wouldn't feel more comfortable as a girl unless some part of you deep inside was truly female. I don't know whether the Japanese have a term for it but your situation, while uncommon, is hardly unprecedented. In the past, we have had village brothers who swore they were women and village sisters who believed they were men. Fortunately, due to our proximity to Jusenkyo, we've been able to help such individuals become who they truly believed they were inside. From what you've told me, and that you seem relaxed and in tune with yourself, I believe you are one of these individuals."

The Saotome heiress nodded slowly before taking a sip of her tea. "I wish Father was more understanding, but I think he's so wrapped up with me becoming a man he can't see anything else. Now that I know what I'm feeling is _me_ and not the curse, I think I might like being a girl.

"That reminds me," Ranko continued, her eyes dancing with mischief, "I asked the guide whether there were ways I could become stuck in my female form. I think he may have misunderstood though because he suddenly became very nervous and uncomfortable. I wasn't asking because I actually _wanted_ to be locked, it's much too soon for anything like that, I was just curious if there were ways it could happen."

"I'll put it to you plainly," Cologne said seriously as she locked eyes with her guest. "Yes, there are ways in which you can become permanently locked in your curse form. I'm glad to hear you don't want to rush into anything without giving yourself a chance to adapt to your new circumstances. Even if I possessed the necessary means in which to lock you myself, I wouldn't want to for fear you may come to regret your decision. I do, however, have something less permanent that can help. It's called waterproof soap and all you'll have to do is lather with it in whichever form you wish to stay in and you won't have to worry about changing forms. Each bar should last about a week if you use it sparingly."

"Oh good, I love hot baths and was afraid I wouldn't be able to enjoy them anymore, at least if I wanted to remain female."

The older woman nodded in understanding and said, "With this you'll be able to bathe as a girl but be mindful of when you last used it."

"Thank you," the redhead said with a brilliant smile.

"Think nothing of it child, I'm glad I could help," Cologne replied as she started cleaning up the tea service. "Ranko-chan, Xian-Pu should be home soon if you'd like to freshen up before dinner. I'll have something more befitting a woman for you to wear by the time you're finished."

"I'd like that, it's been awhile since I've had a real bath," Ranko said and wrinkled her nose in disgust when she caught a whiff of herself.

"I'll bet," Cologne quipped with a smile as she motioned for her guest to follow her towards the bathroom. Once the redhead was situated, the older woman wondered if she could find something of Shampoo's that would fit the smaller girl. After several minutes of searching, she grabbed a light blue floral print cheongsam along with appropriate underwear and placed the bundle of clothing on the countertop in the bathroom so it would be ready once the girl had finished her bath.

* * *

Ranko moaned softly with pleasure and closed her eyes as she leaned back in the tub, enjoying her first bath as a girl. Granted, she would've preferred hot water but unfortunately she didn't have any of the waterproof soap Cologne had talked about. While she was looking forward to being able to take hot baths again, she wondered what she would do once she had returned home. Would she be able to write the village and order more soap or was she condemned to lukewarm baths for the rest of her life?

After soaking for twenty minutes, she decided she'd been in the tub long enough. The redhead grabbed a towel and carefully started drying herself off, making sure to avoid rubbing certain areas too vigorously along with the giant bruise decorating her abdomen. Much to her embarrassment, she had discovered during her bath how much softer and more sensitive certain parts of her body were compared with her male form.

"Bastard," Ranko muttered angrily as she gently prodded the patch of dark purple flesh, wincing in pain when she accidentally poked too hard. '_I had forgotten how bad it really is. This is going to take forever to heal, unless the Joketsuzoku have a healing potion or something._

'_Hmm, I wonder..._' she thought before turning on the hot water. Once satisfied, she splashed herself and watched with morbid fascination as her body shifted into her larger male form. Trying to avoid looking at his lower anatomy, Ranma carefully examined the giant bruise only to find it mostly faded. He frowned in confusion; shouldn't the bruising be the same? The body was different, but shouldn't the damage have carried over from one form to the other?

After contemplating the situation for several minutes, the ex-girl wrapped a towel around his waist before splashing himself with cold water and reverting to his female form. Ranko sighed in relief and felt her knees buckle as she sagged against the wall. She looked down and grimaced at the giant purple bruise once again taking up residence on her abdomen before opening the door and calling out to her hostess.

"Ranko-chan? What's wrong?" Cologne asked in concern as she seemed to teleport directly in front of her with a worried look on her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause alarm," the redhead replied softly. Pointing towards the large bruise on her stomach, she continued, "I just wanted to ask if you had or knew anything that might help with this."

"Goddess..." the Amazon gasped in horror when she noticed the angry looking welt covering her guest's abdomen. After thinking for several moments, she came to a decision and gathered the small bundle of clothing as she said, "Ranko-chan, I think you should go to bed and get some rest. While you're getting situated, I'll find you something more comfortable for you to sleep in and contact our village's top healer, Elder Nap-Ki. I'll ask her to come over and see what she can do for you. We can see how it looks in the morning and go from there."

"Thank you," Ranko said quietly as she adjusted her towel so that it covered both her breasts and lower regions. She glanced at the clothing and sighed in relief she wouldn't have to wear a dress. She might feel more comfortable as a girl and the panties probably would've felt better than boxers on her new frame, but a dress? She wasn't ready for that yet.

* * *

.

* * *

**(Thursday, April 2****nd****, 1992, Early Morning)**

The next morning, Ranko awoke feeling fetter than she had for a long time. As the last remnants of a particularly interesting dream faded, she slowly opened her eyes and yawned as she stretched. She had dreamt she'd become a girl and was surrounded by friends and family who loved her. Her mother was happy she was home and couldn't seem to stop hugging her, afraid she would disappear again.

Sighing in disappointment, the redhead looked around in confusion only to discover she had fallen asleep on a bed indoors. Surprised by her unusual circumstances, she jolted awake and sat up only to freeze when she felt a curious swaying sensation on her chest. She looked down and gasped in shock when she noticed two sizable lumps along with a floral pajama top she was certain wasn't hers.

'_What the...? You mean that wasn't a dream and I really am a girl?_' Ranko mentally asked herself as morning amnesia wore off and memories of the previous day came rushing back. Gently cupping her breasts, she just shook her head in disbelief and thought in wonder, '_Oh Goddess, I'm a girl. This body, it's real..._

'_I'm free… I can be a girl all I want regardless of what Pop says,_' the neo-girl thought happily and started crying as years of repressed emotions started bubbling to the surface. Unlike when she had been male, she didn't feel the need to suppress her emotions like she'd been taught. After years of being stuck beneath Genma's tyrannical thumb, she was finally free to be who _she_ wanted to be, not what he demanded of her. She could even conceivably find a new direction for her life, perhaps something completely unrelated to the Art. It wasn't so much that she disliked the Art; it's just after doing nothing else for the last ten years she felt it was time to find some other interests.

Once she'd managed to calm down, Ranko started humming a cheerful little ditty as she stripped off her borrowed blue floral print pajamas, fully expecting to see the massive bruise on her abdomen only to stare in disbelief when she noticed the area looked completely healed. She gently probed the area expecting some tenderness but there was none. It was as though her father had never struck her.

'_That's an impressive healing balm,_' the redhead thought in wonder as she poked and prodded her abdomen for a couple of minutes. Once satisfied her wound was fully healed, Ranko changed into her dougi before cleaning up the guest room and taking care of some personal business.

* * *

When she walked into the living room a few minutes later, Ranko found Cologne seated in a chair reading a book. She looked around for several moments and wondered about Shampoo. Unless it was later than she thought, she had expected to eat breakfast with the other girl before heading home.

"Good morning Ranko-chan," Cologne greeted warmly as she set her book aside to give her guest her full attention. "If you're looking for Xian-Pu, I sent her on an errand, but she should return soon." At the younger woman's verbal acknowledgement, she continued in a more somber tone, "How are you feeling? I know that bruise must have been awfully painful."

"Good morning Elder," Ranko replied cheerfully as she knelt at the low table across from the older woman. "I woke up feeling better than I have in a long time. The healing balm Elder Healer Napkin used last night worked like a charm and it's like the panda never struck me. Thank you so much for your hospitality and assistance. I left the pajamas in the guest room since I wasn't sure what you wanted me to do with them."

"You're quite welcome and don't worry about them, I'll take care of them later. Would you care for some breakfast?" the Amazon asked as she headed for the kitchen to start working on their meal. She was about to light the stove when something the redhead said struck a chord with her. Walking back into the living room, she gazed intently at her guest for a few moments before asking, "Ranko-chan, did you say your abdomen is completely healed?"

"As far as I can tell, yes," the redhead answered with a nod.

"Fascinating, the balm really shouldn't have been that effective on a deep tissue bruise," Cologne mused aloud with a thoughtful look on her face, suspecting her guest's accelerated healing had something to do with the strange energy she had sensed within the girl. "Before you ask, I don't know what this means. I can't recall encountering anything like this before and I've seen _a lot_ of strange things over the years."

"Oh," Ranko acknowledged softly.

"There is something very unusual about you I've been trying to figure out ever since I spotted you during the tournament." At the younger girl's inquisitive expression, the Amazon continued, "I've been wondering whether you're a martial artist or not. Despite the fact you're dressed like one, all I can sense from you is a normal teenaged girl's level of chi and a strange dark energy I can't identify."

"I know," the redhead said quietly as she laid her hands in her lap. "Father and I have been on a martial arts training trip for the last ten years, but looking at this body you'd never know it. When I became a girl, I lost nearly all my chi and the physical conditioning I had spent years developing. In its place, at least as a girl, I have some kind of weird energy I have no idea what it is or how to use it."

"Ranko-chan," Cologne started solemnly, "did anything else happen while you were at Jusenkyo?"

Ranko bowed her head and nodded as her eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears. Sighing heavily, the redhead looked up at her hostess as a tear rolled down her cheek and said, "I nearly killed my father." At the older woman's gasp, Ranko nodded again and continued softly, "It was after we'd both become cursed and I was testing my new body. The panda kept ranting about how women are weak and useless, pretty standard fare for him really, and I just got more and more upset. Finally, I snapped and blasted him with some sort of dark fireball…"

"Goddess…" the elder whispered in shock as she felt the blood drain from her face.

"That's not all…"

"There's more?" Cologne asked incredulously.

"Yes," Ranko replied quietly as she wiped away her tears. "I don't remember a lot of it. It felt kind of like I was watching someone else, but I had some sort of dark aura surrounding me and felt a lot of anger, hate and malevolence flowing through my body. It wasn't really until I saw him lying in a crumpled heap half buried in the visitor center wall that I realized what I had done."

"It'll be alright child," the elder woman soothed as she wrapped her arms around her guest and tried to comfort the crying girl. "I'll need to check the archives to see if I can figure out what may have happened to you. As far as I know, there's been no known case of someone falling in the Nyannīchuan and coming out as a magical girl or anything like that. Usually when a male falls in that spring he retains all of his skills and abilities, he simply becomes physically female as though he had been born that way."

* * *

.

* * *

Several hours later, Cologne was sitting within the council chambers waiting for her fellow elders to arrive. She kept her face as impassive as possible despite the unsettling information she had learned from the archives. She knew the situation was perilous, particularly for her guest, but she owed it to her fellow Elders to inform them of the potential danger and figure out the best way to proceed.

As the minutes dragged on, Cologne began feeling anxious and started pacing about the council chamber. The room was set up with nine people in mind, one for each clan matriarch who had a seat on the council. The center chair was similar to a throne and reserved for Elder Matriarch Lotion who was considered the tribal leader. Branching out and forming a semi-circle where everyone could see one another were eight more seats, four to a side. Her seat was first to the left of the throne, making her Lotion's left hand woman and marking her as second in command, or Deputy Elder.

Covering the open floor between the council seats was a large rendition of the Joketsuzoku coat of arms, a spear pointing northwest crossing a sword pointed northeast resting beneath a jasmine flower. The weapons highlighted their warrior society while the flower reminded them of their spirit, the divinity they believed they had originated from over three thousand years in the past.

"#Elder Koh-Lon, why have you called this meeting?#" Lotion demanded irritably as she and the other seven elders entered the council chambers. "#Surely whatever it is could've waited for Monday.#"

"#I wish that were true, but I fear it may not be the case,#" Cologne replied softly as she returned to her seat. "#When I tell you what I have discovered, you will likely agree with me. As an elder of the Joketsuzoku, it is my sworn duty to notify the council of any threats, both within and without, as soon as I am made aware of them. I was doing some research in the archives this morning when I discovered some troubling information.#"

"#Very well, this emergency session of the Joketsuzoku High Council is hereby in session. Elder Koh-Lon, if you please...#" the Elder Matriarch said after she and the other women had taken their seats.

"#I don't know how many of you are aware, but last night two outsiders came to our village along with the Jusenkyo guide,#" Cologne said as she looked at her fellow elders to gauge their reactions. As expected, most of the other women just shrugged with indifference and waited with varying degrees of patience for her to get to the point.

"#Elder Koh-Lon, how is Ranko-chan?#" Elder Healer Napkin asked with concern, sensing the redhead was the reason for the emergency meeting as opposed to the man turned panda or anything associated with the tournament.

"#I'll start off by saying Ranko-chan is doing well,#" the deputy elder replied happily. "#The healing balm you gave her worked miraculously and her abdomen is completely healed.#"

"#But that's...#" the healer gasped in shock as she stared wide-eyed at her fellow elder.

"#Impossible, I know. At least for deep tissue bruises like the one she had,#" Cologne said quietly.

"#Then how?#" Napkin asked, still shaken by the seemingly impossibly fast healing.

"#That and something I've sensed within her is what led me to search the archives this morning and the reason for our meeting,#" she answered without a trace of humor. "#Ranko-chan is not your typical Jusenkyo victim like her father. In fact, I believe she may even be carrying a fragment of her ancestor's spirit from when she fell in the Nyannīchuan.#"

"#Are you saying this Ranko-chan is related to the _Demoness of Jusenkyo_?#" Lotion asked in shock, her eyes widening in fear and anger as memories of the ancient legend flashed through her mind. Every elder, no matter their status or position, knew the story of the 'Demoness of Jusenkyo'. It was not one of their finer moments and it had led to more than a few changes in how they interacted with outsiders.

Fifteen hundred years ago there was once a petite red-haired sorceress named Ranko Saotome who, for whatever reason, had decided to leave her home country of Japan and settle in western China with her husband. The woman was often seen in the village trading various herbs and spices she harvested in the wild or furs her husband had acquired for her. As time passed, some of the Amazons started to resent the outsider couple because they were consistently outperforming them when it came to providing goods for the village. Some suspected Ranko of using dark magic to artificially accelerate the local flora growth while commanding the animals to lie down and die for her husband's knife.

One day, Cologne's ancestor Gel challenged Ranko to a fight and lost, badly. The Amazon felt the sorceress had cheated, using magic to defeat her so quickly and decisively without so much as lifting a finger. In her shame and anger, she gave the outsider the Kiss of Death.

Now Ranko was a very gentle soul and refused to harm anyone or anything she didn't absolutely have to. It was just one of the reasons she refused to have anything to do with her husband's fur trade and focused on growing crops and harvesting herbs instead. Gel knew this and figured she could force the sorceress to leave the area, thus restoring her place in the village's hierarchy for providing herbs and spices.

No one had expected the Saotomes to remain in the area while a death threat loomed over their heads but that was exactly what they had done. Even more baffling was the fact the couple hadn't sent their young daughters to live with either of Ranko's sisters, preferring instead to keep their family together regardless of the Amazon threat.

Unfortunately, for both the Saotomes and the Joketsuzoku, everything changed one fateful day several weeks after the initial Kiss of Death.

_Ranko, along with her husband Hiroshi and their twin daughters, Akane and Ami, were enjoying a nice evening meal when the front door of their humble cabin suddenly exploded open. Gel stood in the ruined doorway with a pair of chuis in her hands and hatred burning within her jealous heart. The sorceress immediately ordered her husband to take their children and run while she dealt with the Amazon. The man refused and placed himself between the angry woman and his wife, determined to protect his family with his life if needed._

_The Amazon just sneered at the obstacle blocking her path and lashed out with her chuís, smashing the man's skull like a grapefruit. Without bothering to think about the fact she had just murdered a defenseless man in cold blood, Gel turned towards her enemy and snarled, "#If you continue to resist me, __**Ranko**__, I will kill your children and sisters just as I killed your husband. The Saotome line will die and no one will even remember your name.#"_

_"#Lay another finger on my family and there won't be any Joketsuzoku left by the time I'm through with you,#" the sorceress spat, her deep blue eyes darkening until they were a demonic reddish-purple color as she glared balefully at the taller blue haired woman standing before her. "#Mark my words, __**Gel of the Joketsuzoku**__, you and your family already owe me a blood debt for murdering my husband and leaving my children without their father. Keep pushing and I'll not only kill you and your family, I'll declare a blood feud on your civilization and destroy every last one of you.#"_

_"#You and what army?#" Gel sneered as she launched herself at her enemy._

_Ranko hastily erected a stone shield that blocked her assailant's attack as she yelled to her children in Japanese, "Akane-chan, Ami-chan, hide in the basement and stay there until I've come for you."_

_"Yes mama," the red-haired twins chorused as they ran towards their parents' bedroom where a hidden trap door would lead them to the cellar._

_"#Sending the brats away?#" Gel scoffed as she sneered at the shorter woman hiding behind a stone shield. "#You do realize once I've dealt with you I'll just hunt them down and kill them, right? I'll make sure it's nice and slow too just because you're starting to irritate me.#"_

_"#You heartless bitch,#" Ranko growled angrily before sighing in resignation as she considered what she was about to do. Without giving herself a chance to change her mind, she quickly transfigured her stone shield into a spike. Before her adversary could react, she telekinetically banished the sharpened stone through her enemy's heart, killing her instantly._

_"#You and your damn pride. It will be the death of your tribe and it is you, __**Joketsuzoku**__, who will be forgotten,#" the widow spat as she glared at her enemy's corpse for a few moments before collapsing on the floor and bursting into tears. Several minutes passed before she finally crawled to her husband's body and wrapped her arms around him. Taking a dagger from her robe she cut her left palm and vowed, "Hiro my love, on my honor and that of the Saotome clan, I swear I shall avenge your death. I shall destroy Gel's family in retribution along with the Joketsuzoku nation for breeding animals like her. So it is said, so mote it be."_

Cologne looked down at the floor and sighed as she said, "#Ranko nearly wiped us out because of my ancestor's rash actions.#"

"#That was then, why does it concern us now?" one of the elders asked.

"#It concerns us because if what Elder Koh-Lon has said is true, this Ranko child may be carrying more than just her ancestor's namesake,#" Lotion replied as she wrung her hands in concern.

"#According to my research, the dark energy I've been sensing within Ranko-chan is something called mana. Given enough time, she will likely become a powerful sorceress just like her ancestor,#" Cologne answered softly. "#She may even try to finish what Ranko started once she comes into her powers. The question we really need to be asking ourselves is this: What do we do with this information?#"

"#Execute her, thus removing the threat,#" a different elder interjected.

"#We can't do that!#" Napkin protested as she glared at the other woman. "#Ranko-chan is an innocent child. She doesn't deserve to be put to death for the actions of her ancestor. Actions I believe never would've occurred had it not been for Gel's foolishness.#"

"#I agree, even if she comes back one day and tries to destroy the rest of my family,#" Cologne said quietly as she smiled at her best friend. "#Gel wronged her terribly by murdering her husband and threatening her family. Ranko-chan hasn't done anything wrong.#"

"#Gel got what she deserved by giving Ranko the Kiss of Death and paid for it with her life,#" Lotion interjected with a shake of her head. "#That didn't justify coming after the tribe with hordes of wild animals and demons like she did afterwards.#"

"#Maybe not, but are you seriously suggesting we punish a child for the sins of her ancestor?#" Napkin demanded as she glared at the head elder. "#If that's the case, then every one of us should be punished because we all have skeletons in our closets.#"

"#I have a proposal,#" Cologne said before the argument could become more heated. "#I will take my family to Japan and keep an eye on her. If it appears that she's going to follow her ancestor's footsteps and carry out the blood feud, we will deal with her away from the village. Hopefully it won't come to that, but I agree with Elder Nap-Ki. Ranko-chan hasn't done anything wrong and Ranko only turned on us because of Gel. I don't plan on threatening Ranko-chan's family and I may even be able to convince her to join the tribe, turning a potential enemy into a powerful ally.#"

"#Very well, make whatever preparations you need and keep us informed,#" Lotion commanded as the meeting broke up and everyone started heading their separate ways.

"#Koh-Lon, what are you going to tell Ranko-chan?" Napkin asked as the two friends left the council chambers.

"#I don't know,#" Cologne replied quietly. "#I know she's worried about her magic, especially after yesterday, but I'm not sure it's prudent to tell her the whole truth about her ancestor either.#"

"#You're going to at least tell her about being a sorceress though, right?#"

"#Yes, she deserves that much,#" the elder of the two answered with a weary sigh. "#I think once I've have the chance to observe her for several months, provided she hasn't turned evil, I'll feel more comfortable telling her the truth about her ancestry.#"

Napkin nodded at that and said, "#That may be wise, given everything the poor child has been through.#"

"#I'm concerned though,#" Cologne said as she laid a hand on her fellow elder's arm and stopped walking. "#Ranko was a grown woman with a family when she succumbed to vengeance and the lure of absolute power. Yes, Gel may have set things in motion, but it was always a possibility she would turn evil. Ranko-chan is a fourteen-year-old girl, worse she's barely started figuring out who she really is and carries a great deal of anger and resentment towards her father. That anger could easily twist her into a Dark Lady, one who would strive to remake the world according to her desires. A world where no one could hurt her ever again.#"

"#Then she will need guidance,#" the healer replied as she gave her fellow elder a pointed look. "#I can't think of anyone better suited to guiding her than you, Koh-Lon.#"

* * *

.

* * *

Several hours later, Ranko was lying on the roof of Cologne's home watching the sun set as she thought about her day. Shortly after the elder had left for the archives, Shampoo returned and the two of them enjoyed a peaceful breakfast. Unfortunately, since Shampoo didn't speak Japanese and she didn't speak Mandarin, their conversation was nonsensical at best.

Shortly after breakfast, a tall boy with long black hair wearing flowing white robes and thick glasses had knocked on the front door. Shampoo hadn't been too happy to see her old childhood friend, but decided to be magnanimous for her houseguest's sake and introduced the boy as Mu-Tsu. He hadn't seemed too perturbed when she'd butchered his name by calling him Mousse and informed her he would be her guide and translator while Cologne was busy taking care of elder business.

Contrary to her encounter with the naked guy at Jusenkyo, Ranko didn't feel threatened or uncomfortable around her male tour guide. For starters, Mousse wasn't naked. Secondly, they weren't alone in a sparsely populated forest. Thirdly, she knew she wasn't defenseless because of her powers even though they frightened her. Finally, the boy was so enamored with Shampoo he would never consider her dating material.

As they wandered around the village, Mousse told her about tribal life from a male's perspective and how he was generally regarded as a second-class citizen. She found the contrast between her companion's testimony and what Cologne had told her rather depressing as the two genders seemed almost a world apart in how they were regarded and what privileges they were afforded. She knew the Joketsuzoku was a matriarchal society just as her homeland was patriarchal but she had hoped for more equality between the sexes. Still, it wasn't her place to criticize their culture so she had kept her thoughts to herself.

After covering his home village, Mousse then started telling her about neighboring tribes: the Musk and Phoenix. At first, she hadn't believed him when he told her about the half-bird, half-humanoid people but she could sense the boy's sincerity and reluctantly accepted he was telling her the truth. She then tuned him out as she started wondering what it might be like to fly using her own feathery wings.

Ranko sighed as she continued to gaze at the sky above and watched as the last tendril of light slipped beneath the horizon. It would be her last night within the village. While Cologne hadn't said she needed to leave, once the elder had returned it hadn't taken long to sense an undercurrent of wariness and suspicion from the older woman. She wasn't sure what to make of the situation and wondered what could have happened within the council chambers. Not wanting to overstay her welcome, she decided she would leave early the next morning.

When she had asked Cologne whether the archives contained any information regarding her strange powers, the elder had simply nodded and asked her to meet on the roof for privacy reasons. Once they were situated, the older woman then explained the dark energy within her was called mana and it worked similarly to how advanced martial artists used their chi to affect their bodies and the world around them.

_"Does this mean I'm a magical girl?" Ranko asked, her eyes widening in disbelief._

_"I think the term Sorceress would be more apt actually," the older woman replied with a smile._

_"What's the difference?" the redhead asked in confusion._

_"Methodology mostly," __Cologne__ answered only to chuckle at the blank look on her guest's face. "Allow me to explain. While there are many different terms, there are really only three classifications I can think of that you'll need to worry about. The rest are either broader categories, subcategories or founded in various religions around the world._

_"Magical Girls are girls who gain their power through a mystical object and are typically reincarnated princesses from an ancient and forgotten queendom. Until I know whether you are one of the lost princesses I cannot say more on the topic._

_"Wizards learn spells and gain power through diligent study. They rely heavily on their intelligence and knowledge to understand how magical forces work, often approaching the discipline in a more scientific manner. I would say you could easily be a wizard except you've already demonstrated an ability to call upon your magic without prior study or knowing you were even capable of doing so in the first place. Rumor has it there are parts of __Japan__ that have entire magical communities hidden away and it may be possible for you to go to school and study magic if you wish._

_"The last type of magic-user is what I believe you are: Sorceress. A sorceress is someone who can shape the very magic flowing within her to do what she wants. Her magic is very instinctual in nature and she's not dependant upon an outside object or reincarnation nor does she have to study extensively in order to use her power. You wanted to hit your father because of his verbal abuse and your magic provided you with the means to do so. I suspect some part of you wanted to instill fear in the man as well which would explain your dark aura."_

_Ranko just stared at the roof tiles and heaved a heavy sigh before asking in a small voice, "Will I ever be able to control it? I don't want to accidentally kill someone like I nearly did yesterday."_

_Cologne scooted forward and wrapped her arms around the younger girl and said gently, "I'm certain you will child. In time and with practice, you'll learn control and you should be able to shape your magic any way you wish. Don't push yourself too hard. Remember, mana for the sorceress is like chi for a martial artist. You start out with a small amount, but it takes hard work and dedication to reach formidable levels."_

_"But the fireball," the neo-sorceress protested as she replayed what she could remember of the event. "If I can do that kind of damage as a complete novice, what will I be capable of once I've mastered it, assuming I ever do?"_

_"That's a very good question Ranko-chan," the elder replied in a solemn tone as her eyes got a far away look in them. "A very good question indeed…"_

_"Elder?"_

_Cologne__ shook her head and said, "Nothing you need to worry about right now. To answer your question in how you were able to cause so much destruction with zero training, I think I have an idea. A master sorceress is unlikely to allow her emotions to fuel her abilities, let alone control her actions, much like a master martial artist. Think of it this way; what happens when a martial artist lets blind anger control her?"_

_"That's easy, they become really powerful but are usually beaten because they're not thinking clearly and get sloppy," Ranko replied with a smile as she nodded in understanding. When she thought of her new abilities in the context of martial arts, it was easy to see the parallels._

_"Exactly, the greatest asset of a martial artist is her mind. The same holds true for a sorceress," the elder said with a smile._

* * *

.

* * *

**_Author's Notes: _**

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it. _

_Publish Date: January 15th__, 2020_


	3. Welcome Home Ranko

Disclaimer:

Sadly, I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima, or the colorful characters Rumiko Takahashi created for us. I have been planning a transgender story for awhile now and have finally decided to try it. Unlike other stories using this same premise, this will not be a simple retelling of the manga. There will be canon events; however, they are not the focus of this story. There will be a number of plots and sub-plots that play out as Ranma discovers who and what she really is as opposed to what she had been led to believe growing up. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language#, *panda signs*, "spoken", '_thoughts_', [_telepathic messages_]

.

**The Butterfly Effect**

Chapter Two

_Welcome Home Ranko_

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**(Friday, May 1****st****, 1992, Sunset)**

Nearly a month following the life changing events at Jusenkyo, Ranko was standing at the bow of a cargo ship heading for her homeland of Japan. She sighed deeply and stared at the never-ending expanse of ocean as a light breeze playfully ruffled her mid-back length unbound hair. Since she was no longer traveling through the Chinese wilderness, she had decided to wear one of the cheongsams the Jokeysuzoku had gifted her as a going away present. The dress in question was dark purple with black trim and embroidered with a red Chinese dragon wrapped around the front and back as though to protect the wearer. Considering she had only been physically female for about a month, it still surprised her how quickly she had come to like wearing dresses despite the numerous catcalls and whistles they tended to attract.

While she had no real interest in men, Ranko could still appreciate the fact they found her attractive so long as they didn't get too close or try to put their hands on her. She didn't have a problem with the male gender so much as she just wasn't interested in them romantically nor felt she'd have much use for them as friends. Girls, on the other hand, she was eagerly looking forward to befriending a few and if fortune smiled, maybe a romantic interest as well.

Originally, she had assumed her attraction to girls was residual programming from her male side and figured her perceptions would change as she spent more time in her female form. During her journey across China, she had tried fantasizing about her ideal guy only to discover nothing she imagined seemed to spark much interest. Just on a whim, she'd then decided to try fantasizing about different types of girls only to be surprised by how vigorously her body reacted with arousal. From that point on she saw little reason to think about guys and let her imagination run wild, varying her fantasies to encompass girls of all types and get an idea of what she might look for in the future.

'_Guess that makes me a lesbian,_' the Saotome heiress thought with a smile as she continued to stare across the uncaring ocean while the sun sank beneath the horizon. While the Joketsuzoku had been rather liberal when it came to female-female relationships, she knew she would need to be careful once she returned home given how traditional and conservative Japanese society was in general. As far as she knew, she wouldn't be executed for being gay, but it was possible she would be kicked out of her family and ostracized by society. Due to the necessity of being discreet, she figured it would take time for her to find someone she was truly compatible with.

The redhead shivered as the wind started picking up and she glanced at the sky only to frown at an approaching storm. She watched nervously as streaks of lightning flashed angrily in the distance and wondered how long until the storm hit. She had always been terrified of thunderstorms but due to her father's macho attitude she'd never allowed him to know just how frightened she truly was if she could help it. Turning on her heel, she quickly headed below deck and out of sight of the approaching thunderstorm.

* * *

Once she returned to her cabin, Ranko collapsed against the wall and closed her eyes as she started breathing deeply to calm her racing heartbeat. It wasn't the first time she had suffered a panic attack, but it was curious that her reaction was worse than usual. Maybe it was because she was in the middle of the ocean whereas before she'd been on land and didn't have to worry about being thrown overboard and drowning.

Several minutes passed before her heart calmed and she could breathe normally again. She still felt edgy, but was reasonably certain it hadn't been simply due to the approaching thunderstorm. In fact, she had awoken that morning feeling irritable with a horrible case of abdominal cramps and wondered whether there was something wrong with her. What was going on? Was she getting sick or was it something else?

Ranko knew there was a Chinese doctor on board, but wasn't positive the man could help since her Mandarin was atrocious despite having spent the last several months in China. Maybe she could sleep the remainder of the voyage home and her body would sort itself out on its own? If not, she could find a Japanese doctor once she arrived in Nerima and ask them. She might even understand what they were saying if they didn't use too much medical jargon.

The redhead knelt beside her backpack and spent several minutes rifling through it. She smiled when she pulled out the picture of her mother she had stolen from her father a month earlier, still surprised the man had never mentioned the missing photograph. Was it possible he wasn't even aware of it after so much time? Did he just not think about his wife or want to look at her picture anymore? If that was the case, what did it mean?

She gazed at the youthful redhead as she traced the woman's face with her fingertips and thought, '_I'm coming home Mother. I just hope you're still alive and I'm not a disappointment to you. Honestly, why does it matter whether I'm a boy or girl as long as I'm happy and true to myself? You'd think it was the end of the world or something from the way he acts just because I'm a girl. I swear the idiot needs to get over that whole "man amongst men" shtick. Even if we hadn't gone to Jusenkyo and I never realized I was truly a girl, I never would've believed that nonsense._'

Ranko reverently held her mother's picture to her chest and closed her eyes as she replayed parts of the previous month in her mind. Once she had become 'cursed', the bizarre sense of disconnection she had felt throughout her life started making sense. She had known for years things weren't quite the way they were meant to be, but she'd had no idea they were so integral to her core identity. She just figured it was because she'd never really wanted to be a martial artist. Being the sensitive child she was, she would've preferred to focus on gymnastics, dance, music, art and literature. Naturally, a man obsessed with making her a mockery of men everywhere with his 'man amongst men' agenda hadn't taken kindly to it.

Her mind wandered as she climbed into bed and started wondering what her life might have been like had she been born female. She suspected her first four years would've been similar as she had spent most of the time with her mother. Would her father have still spirited her away that fateful day just before her fifth birthday? Considering how the man seemed to hate anything remotely feminine, she suspected he would've either simply abandoned the two of them or worse, dragged her kicking and screaming with him so he could force her to become a man. They might have still wound up at Jusenkyo, only for nefarious purposes, instead of simply by accident because the man couldn't understand Chinese.

'_Why is he so bent on me being a man anyway?_' the redhead wondered for the umpteenth time as she continued to wonder about her alternate childhood. Would she have had friends? Probably, maybe the girls she had dreamt about in Nyucheizu could've been her friends for real. It was unlikely she would've become a martial artist without her father pounding it into her. What might her hobbies have been instead? Perhaps she could've learned to play a musical instrument or joined a gymnastics team. She would've definitely gone to school...

'_I'm only fifteen, it's not like I won't be able to do those things once I'm home anyway,_' she thought with a smile as she opened her eyes and stared out the darkened porthole beside her bed. '_Now that I'm free to be my true self, my life is really just beginning. I'm still not sure who I really am, but I know I'm not the "man amongst men" Pop wants. Everything will be better once I've found Mother and I'm living with her. I'm sure she misses me and once I'm back I'll finally have some semblance of a normal life. I may have missed out on a normal childhood thanks to the stupid panda but there's still plenty of time for me to enjoy being a teenager._'

Ranko sighed deeply as she lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling as her thoughts returned to the past month. The journey through China had been largely uneventful and rather boring. Both she and Genma had been more interested in returning to Japan than anything and rarely spoke, at least after the first few days. It helped the weather seemed to conspire to keep them in their cursed forms which meant her father had been a panda more often than not and thus unable to speak. She had also made sure to keep herself locked by using her waterproof soap every few days so she wouldn't have to worry about changing forms, much to her father's irritation.

'_Shame I'm not locked for real, it's been really nice not having to worry about changing back and forth,_' the redhead thought as she stared at her mother's picture again. '_It's too soon for that though. Besides, if I were locked I wouldn't be able to prove to Mother who I really am. Who knows, I may actually find a use for my male form sometime in the future, assuming I ever become comfortable with it._'

The Saotome heiress shook her head at that last thought and continued to reminisce about the previous month. She was glad it was over; traveling through China hadn't been particularly enjoyable since she wanted to get away from her father and return home as quickly as possible. Her typical day had consisted of waking up at dawn and 'sparring' with the old man where he tried to whip her into shape. In reality, it was more her frantically dodging her father's attacks than actual sparring. Afterward, they would eat breakfast and she would use the Amazon healing balm on her many scrapes and bruises before continuing their hike eastward for most of the day. Around sunset, they would make camp and she'd take a bath before sitting down to meditate to try to understand the dark energy flowing within her body. Amazingly enough, Genma generally left her alone at night even though he was usually human.

Ranko climbed out of bed and searched her pack, frowning when she realized she'd used the last of the healing balm. Still, she knew if it hadn't been for that she never would've made the journey. It was only because she could use it to patch herself up every morning that she'd been able to travel at all, especially when the panda 'forgot' her weakened conditioning and went overboard which was pretty much a daily occurrence. While she was still no where near where she'd been in her male form, and likely never would be, the journey through China had been helpful with her conditioning. She figured her body was more akin to that of an athlete or dancer than the ordinary girl she'd been right after her dip in the Nyannīchuan.

'_Not that I'll ever thank him for it, but I suppose Pop being such an overbearing tyrant was useful after all,_' the Saotome heiress mused thoughtfully as she started her evening stretching exercises. Given the lack of space in her room, she knew she couldn't do much in the way of martial arts but figured anything was preferable to lying around waiting to fall asleep. According to the sailors she had spoken with earlier, the ship they were aboard would arrive in Tokyo sometime in the morning.

* * *

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* * *

**(Saturday, May 2nd, 1992, Mid Morning)**

The following morning, Ranko was asleep when she was rudely awakened by a persistent pounding on her door, informing her they had docked and it was time to disembark. She slowly opened her eyes and stretched only to grimace when she felt pain in her abdomen for the second day in a row. As she contemplated her body's betrayal, someone pounded on her door again and she snapped an irritable verbal acknowledgement. Still annoyed with the situation, she climbed out of bed and quickly dressed in her red Chinese shirt/black kung fu style clothing before gathering the rest of her belongings.

She blinked in surprise when she opened the door and noticed the man was still waiting for her. Handing the sailor her key, the two of them walked in silence for a few minutes as he escorted her to the weather deck. She didn't bother suppressing her giggles when she noticed another sailor standing nearby holding her father's leash with the cursed man's backpack at his feet.

"#This one thank you for trip,#" Ranko said with a bow once she had composed herself. Turning towards her father, she smirked as she took the leash from the Chinese man and continued in a cheery tone, "Grab your pack Panda-san, it's time for us to go."

Genma grunted with dissatisfaction but made no further protests as he did what he was told and followed his child down the gangplank.

"#_That_ is one well behaved panda,#" one of the deckhands commented as their guests departed.

'_Ironic how Pop behaves more like an animal as a man than a panda,_" the redhead thought with amusement as she shook her head at the ridiculous situation. Spotting a dockside café, Ranko dropped her father's leash and pointed towards an alley as she said, "Wait over there Pop, I'll get you some hot water so you stop freaking people out."

Despite the fact her father would likely become a panda again within the hour due to an approaching storm, she wanted answers and he couldn't talk in his cursed form. She didn't know her father's plans or where they were going but was determined to find out _before_ they arrived. If she didn't like the answer, the redhead figured she could make her way to Nerima and find her mother on her own.

A few minutes and a splash later, Ranko crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her father as she said, "Alright old man, we're back in Tokyo just like you wanted. Now, I think it's time you told me what's going on."

"Boy! Why are still in that disgraceful form?" Genma demanded as he glared at his currently female son. Crossing his arms over his chest with contempt, the elder Saotome sneered, "I thought we had come to an understanding that once we returned to civilization you weren't going to parade around in that ridiculous form anymore."

"I never agreed to that," the redhead retorted as she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You just 'decided' I was going to stop being a girl regardless of how _I_ felt about it, but there was certainly no agreement. As if I would! I'm quite happy being a girl, thank you very much."

"Boy! I am your father and you will do as I command," the balding martial artist snarled angrily before slipping into an offensive combat stance. Several of the townsfolk nearby began speaking in hushed tones about the apparent mistreatment Genma was giving the young girl and glared at the older man with disapproval. He didn't care what no-name busybodies thought about him. He only cared about getting Ranma to the Tendos and starting the engagement with one of Soun's daughters along with his own retirement.

"Pop, do I _really_ need to bury you in another wall before you get it through that thick skull of yours that I'm a girl?" Ranko said in a deathly calm tone, her eyes darkening until they had turned a demonic reddish-purple color as a dark purple and black aura exploded around her lithe body. Raising her voice while ignoring the sudden gasps of fear around her, the irate redhead demanded, "How many times do I have to say it? I _am_ a girl, I've always _been_ a girl and I _will_ always be a girl so just shut the hell up and deal with it! That or remove me from the Saotome scrolls and let me go my own way, your choice."

Recalling the last time he'd been buried in a wall, Genma shivered as he looked at his defiant child and sighed, not wanting to push the girl any further while they were standing near the docks in the Koto ward. He still hoped Ranma would drop the whole girl act once 'he' met Soun's daughters. He wouldn't tell the 'boy' they were heading there for an engagement though, that was too risky. The part time panda considered his next words carefully and decided he could be partially truthful with his child.

"Ranma, we're going to go see an old friend of mine named Soun Tendo," the elder Saotome said as he walked over to a large map of the Tokyo region.

"You have a friend Pop? I find that difficult to believe," Ranko scoffed and rolled her eyes as she allowed her aura to die down before following her father. She briefly considered correcting the part time panda about her name but ultimately decided since the man couldn't seem to understand the fact she was a girl, he wouldn't understand her reasons for abandoning her male identity either.

"Years ago, before we settled down with our individual families, Soun and I trained together in the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts," Genma answered, ignoring his 'son's' sarcasm as he looked for Nerima on the map. He smiled when he discovered it was only about twenty miles which the two of them could do easily in a few hours. Noting the morning sun, he figured they would arrive at the Tendos in time for a late lunch if they didn't fight too much along the way.

"What about Mother? Shouldn't we go home to her first?" the redhead asked, only slightly surprised her father wanted to spend time with a friend rather than return home to the woman he had abandoned ten years before. Something was wrong, that much was obvious and for some reason her father was scared to go home. Was it possible he had stolen her from her mother and _that's_ why he wanted to avoid her? It certainly seemed plausible.

"Come along Ranma, I want to make it to the Tendos' before dinner," Genma said as he started walking northwest towards Nerima. Ranko scowled at her father's evasiveness and fell in step with the part time panda as he continued, "While I'm catching up with Soun, perhaps you could get to know his daughters. If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure he has three and they are all around your age. Who knows, you might even find one of them attractive. On top of that, I think the youngest practices the Art."

"Why should I care if they're attractive old man? I'm a girl and as far as I know, Japanese society doesn't like gay people," Ranko sneered with contempt, though whether that contempt was directed at her society's narrow minded homophobia or her father's plans she wasn't sure. Privately, she wondered whether she would've found one of the girls attractive had she any intention of actually going to the Tendos. '_Pop's being awfully sketchy. Something's going on he's not telling me about and knowing him, I probably won't like it. I still have some waterproof soap, maybe I should lock him as a panda and let Animal Control deal with him so I can look for Mother._'

* * *

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* * *

Several hours later, within the ward of Nerima, a tall black haired middle aged man named Soun Tendo was sitting on the back porch thinking about his old friend. It had been many years since he'd last heard from his best friend and training partner, Genma Saotome. As the tenth anniversary of the Saotome father-son training trip came and went, Soun couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to them. Twenty years earlier the men had made a pact they would unite the two branches of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts through the marriage of their children.

"Father, I have today's mail," a soft feminine voice said from the entrance of the family room. Soun looked up and smiled at his eldest daughter Kasumi. The girl was tall, just like her mother and possessed a similar peaceful disposition when not angry or upset. She typically wore ankle length house dresses and her long, brown hair was tied in a pony tail that often rested over her left shoulder.

"Thank you, Kasumi," the Tendo patriarch said as he took the stack from the young woman. He flipped through the mail and muttered, "Gas bill, notice from the town council, subscription to a magazine I don't care about... Ah, what's this?"

Soun dropped everything but the postcard showing a panda eating a chute of bamboo on the front. Daring to hope, he turned it over and started crying tears of joy when he read:

.

_Tendo-_

_Bringing Ranma from China_

_-Saotome_

_._

"Ranma is coming, oh how I have waited for this day. Soon, very soon, Ranma will be here," Soun said emotionally as dreams of uniting his family with his best friend's filled his mind.

"What is it Father?" Kasumi asked gently, puzzled by her father's strange behavior.

"Kasumi dear, will you please make some tea? I have important news for all of you," the Tendo patriarch answered excitedly.

"Of course," the homemaker replied and returned to the kitchen where she heated up a kettle while looking through her tea selection. She decided on something soothing, figuring whatever the news, it would be better if she and her sisters were calm _before_ they found out what it was.

Soun headed upstairs and knocked on his middle daughter's door. At her invitation, he opened the door and found his daughter lying on her bed clothed in a pair of white short shorts and a green tank top reading a manga. He cleared his throat and said, "Nabiki, I need to speak with all of you downstairs regarding a family matter."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow and wondered what could be so important that concerned all of them before shrugging her shoulders and heading downstairs. Soun then checked Akane's room but found it empty and wondered where his youngest child had run off to. Frowning, he walked downstairs and asked his other daughters if they knew where their sister was. Both said they didn't know and Nabiki headed for the dojo, figuring the girl might be busy destroying concrete blocks like she'd been doing nearly every day for the last three weeks.

'_Little sis has been getting angrier and angrier since school started,_' the mercenary thought as she briefly wondered if she'd gone too far in her money-making schemes. Shaking her head at such a ridiculous notion and certain the younger girl didn't suspect her of anything; she decided nothing needed to change for the time being. She walked into the dojo and noticed her sister wearing a worn yellow dougi setting up some blocks.

"Akane, Daddy wants to talk to us in the living room," Nabiki said casually as she regarded her overly emotional little sister with a critical eye.

"What's going on Sis?" Akane asked as she tightened her belt, not really in the mood to deal with her father or anyone else.

"I don't know. Why don't you get off your lazy butt and find out," the middle Tendo retorted as she turned to leave. Akane frowned at the lazy comment but was too curious not to follow.

* * *

"Father, is this about the postcard you received earlier?" Kasumi asked once the four of them were seated around the family room table.

Soun nodded as he cleared his throat and said, "Girls, I have recently received word that my dearest friend and training partner, Genma Saotome, along with his son, Ranma, will be arriving soon. Years ago, before any of you were born, Saotome and I made a pact we would unite the two branches of the Anything Goes School through the marriage of our children. If one of you were to marry Ranma and carry on this training hall, the Tendo family legacy would be secure."

'_Oh my, guests? I love company,_' Kasumi thought happily as she envisioned the lavish meals she could prepare for a larger household. Her smile slipped when she heard the rest of her father's announcement and doubted she would be interested unless the boy was older.

"Hey, wait a minute; don't we have a say in who we're going to _marry_?" Akane demanded angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her father. Even if Kuno and the Hentai Horde weren't bothering her on a regular basis she'd want nothing to do with an arranged marriage. Due to her experience with them every morning before school, she wanted nothing to do with boys period.

"Maybe you should wait until you meet him. You never know, he might be _really_ cute, right Daddy?" Nabiki asked as she started considering whether to take the guy for herself or push him onto her boy-hating younger sister. On the one hand, Ranma didn't know her and was unaware of her 'Ice Queen' reputation. Maybe she could find some companionship with someone who wouldn't run when she approached or annoyed her to no end like Kuno. On the other, she liked pulling strings from afar and figured it would be amusing to watch her little sister deal with a boy in her own house instead of just at school.

"He should be here soon," Soun said as he stood up and walked a few steps away. Turning towards his children again, he continued, "Ranma and his father have been on an extended training mission and recently crossed into China."

"Ooohh China," the middle Tendo cooed, her brown eyes glinting greedily with thoughts of Chinese treasures and silks. She had a taste for the finer things in life and wondered what sort of knickknacks her potential future husband had acquired in his travels. The Saotomes had to be rich to travel to China on a whim, right?

"I guess training in China would be pretty cool," Akane conceded as some of her anger drained away. While she didn't want anything to do with the boy personally, she was curious about China. She had always wanted to travel but hadn't really been able to beyond Tokyo other than the beach or mountains. She was seriously considering applying for a foreign exchange program her senior year and expanding her horizons.

"Father, how old is this Ranma?" Kasumi asked softly.

"Is he cute?" Nabiki interjected excitedly, eager to find out if the boy would be tolerable on the eyes.

"I hope he's older than me, younger men are just so immature."

"What kind of guy is he?" the middle Tendo asked as she grew impatient with her father's lack of answers.

Soun chuckled at his daughters' questions before replying with a shrug, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Nabiki deadpanned, annoyed with her father's lack of information.

"I've never met him," the Tendo patriarch said much to the disgust and irritation of his three daughters.

"So let me get this straight," Akane growled as she glared at her father again. "You expect one of us to marry a _boy_ whom none of us have ever met and know nothing about? Count me out of this nonsense; you _know_ how I feel about boys!"

"Would you prefer Ranma was a girl?" Nabiki asked snidely, causing both Kasumi and her father to look at her in surprise before turning their attention towards Akane.

"Yes!" the ravenette yelled as she surged to her feet and started to leave the room when her older sister's voice froze her in her tracks.

"Really? I didn't know you liked girls that way," the mercenary replied matter-of-factly with a smirk on her lips, eliciting a scandalous gasp from both her older sister and father.

Akane whirled around, her smoldering brown eyes flashing in anger as she glared at her older sister and shouted, "No! If Ranma's a girl there's no stupid engagement!"

The Tendo heiress closed her eyes for a few moments and tried to calm herself down before continuing softly, "If Ranma's a girl, I'll finally have a friend who's a martial artist like me. Since Daddy can't be bothered to teach anymore, not even me, I haven't had anyone I can spar with for a long time."

In the silence that followed, Akane just turned on her heel and stormed up to her bedroom before slamming her door several moments later.

"Well Daddy, I think it's obvious how little sis feels about this lame brain idea of yours," Nabiki deadpanned before heading back to her bedroom.

"Oh Father… Why did you have to do this?" Kasumi asked quietly as she headed back to her kitchen, leaving Soun to break down and cry.

* * *

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* * *

Meanwhile, after asking dozens of strangers about the address on her mother's photograph, Ranko finally stood before a modest two-story brick home. Surrounding the property was a white wall, barely three feet in height and more for decoration than protection. In the middle of the wall was a white wooden gate, allowing entry onto the property and access to a heavy oak door with a sign that read: Saotome Residence. She was home, after ten long years of being on the road she was finally home.

The redhead sighed as she walked up to the front door only to pause, uncertain she really wanted to meet her mother wearing her current outfit. She looked down at her red Chinese shirt and black kung fu pants and shook her head. If her mother was the least bit traditional, it was likely the woman would disapprove of her choice in clothing even though they made sense considering she'd been traveling. She ran her fingers through her scarlet locks and briefly wondered if she should've put it up in a ponytail rather than leave it down.

Ranko closed her eyes for a few moments, slowing her breathing to calm her racing heartbeat and settle her frayed nerves. What if her mother rejected her? What would she do then, return to China and the Joketsuzoku? She opened her eyes and shook her head, deciding she would cross that bridge if and when it became necessary. Steeling her resolve, she rang the chime and prayed her mother would accept her.

"Coming!" a feminine voice she hadn't heard for more than a decade called from inside. Moments later, the door opened and revealed a beautiful moderately tall middle-aged woman with dark red hair styled in a tight bun. It quickly became apparent where she'd gotten her delicate physical characteristics and red hair. The woman wore her light blue floral print kimono with dignity and grace as though she were expecting important company.

"May I help...?" Nodoka started only to freeze as she stared wide-eyed at the teenager standing on her porch. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock as she gasped, "Reiko-chan? Could... Could that really be you?"

The elder Saotome collapsed in a dead faint and Ranko barely had time to catch her mother as her mind reeled at what the woman had called her. As she dragged the larger woman into the tea room and propped her against the couch, the younger redhead couldn't help but wonder who Reiko was. After making sure the woman was stable, she closed the front door, removed her shoes and dropped her pack before returning to her mother's side.

A few minutes later, the elder redhead slowly opened her eyes and blinked in confusion when she noticed the girl from earlier kneeling besides her.

"I'm sorry Saotome-san, I shouldn't have entered your home without permission, but I figured you'd be more comfortable here," Ranko said quietly as she rose to her feet and turned to leave.

"No wait, Reiko-chan please... Please stay, I get so lonely being on my own all the time and I would love some company," Nodoka pleaded while scrambling to her feet as she watched the teenager walk towards the door. She swore the girl looked just like she had when she was younger but that was impossible wasn't it? Assuming Reiko was even still alive the girl would only be about eight years old.

Ranko walked back into the room and the two women sat beside one another on the couch. "Saotome-san, I'm sorry but my name isn't Reiko, nor do I know anyone by that name. I'm... Well, you may call me Ranko-chan or Ranko-san as you prefer."

"Ranko?" the Saotome matriarch whispered, the blood draining from her face as she stared at the teenager in shock. "I had a daughter I was going to name Ranko, but somehow she was born a boy instead..."

"Ranma…" the younger redhead whispered in realization as her mind was thrown into a tailspin at that revelation. She was originally suppose to have been born a girl and would've been named Ranko? What could have happened to cause such a thing? Genma couldn't possibly have known about the Nannīchuan (Spring of the Drowned Man) sixteen years ago while she was still gestating within her mother's womb, could he? Even if he did, somehow, that still wouldn't make any sense because had she been cursed by Juesenkyo at such a young age, she would have grown up switching back and forth and it would've been hot water that restored her female birth form all these years as opposed to her current situation.

"Yes," Nodoka confirmed in the same shell-shocked tone as she tried to process everything that was happening. First, a girl who looked very much as she had when she was a teenager showed up out of the blue. Secondly, the girl possessed the same name she had planned to give her first daughter only to have to change at the last moment when it was revealed her baby girl was actually a boy. To top it off, once Ranma had been born she was then informed her second child, a girl, had been stillborn. She had been looking forward to raising twin daughters only to wind up with a single son instead, just as her husband had wanted.

Silence fell within the Saotome sitting room for several minutes as both women slowly processed their individual revelations. Towards the end of their ruminations, Nodoka turned to stare at her guest for a long moment and felt her heart clench in her chest at the seemingly impossible resemblance between the teenager sitting beside her and her long lost children.

"Saotome-san?" Ranko asked nervously when she noticed her hostess's longing stare.

"I'm sorry Ranko-chan. It's just you look so much like I did when I was your age and how I imagined my little Ranko-chan and Reiko-chan might have turned out..." the elder redhead replied before trailing off, tears gathering in her eyes as she buried her face in her hands.

The teenager scooted forward and wrapped her small arms around her mother as she tried to soothe the older woman's anguish. Apparently, Reiko was her little sister, a sister she'd never known nor was likely to meet if she understood her mother correctly. Had Genma known all along that she should've had a sister and kept the information from her deliberately?

Once Nodoka had calmed down, she smiled at the smaller girl and wiped her eyes as she said, "My apologies Ranko-chan. Oh my, I'm a bad hostess! I haven't even offered you anything to eat or drink."

"That's alright Saotome-san, I don't need anything but thank you," Ranko replied pleasantly as she temporarily shelved her musings about recent revelations and started considering how to broach her next topic. Regardless of what happened with her mother in the future, she knew she would need to seriously think about everything they had already talked about.

"Ranko-chan, would you please call me Auntie?" the older woman asked with a smile and watched as her guest's face lit up with happiness. She studied the younger redhead for a few moments and shook her head in disappointment. The red Chinese shirt Ranko wore was too large for her petite frame but at least the girl had had the propriety to wear a bra. The black kung fu pants were only marginally better and could be tied off at the ankles. The way the girl dressed screamed 'tomboy' but her speech and mannerisms did not. It was an interesting mix, but then the girl had been traveling so maybe she could be forgiven for her choice in clothing.

"Auntie, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here," Ranko started quietly as she tried to gather her thoughts. At the older woman's nod, she continued, "I have news regarding your son and husband."

"You've seen Ranma? How is he? Oh, tell me everything you can about him please," Nodoka gushed as she grabbed her 'son's' hands and squeezed them excitedly.

Ranko smirked inwardly at her mother's total disregard for her father's wellbeing and outwardly mused, "Where to start. Well, I suppose the easiest would be for me to simply start from the beginning. I must warn you, some of the things I'm about to say are not very flattering to your husband. If you'd rather I not say anything disparaging about him, please tell me now and I'll try to work around it."

"Oh dear, Genma hasn't done anything dishonorable has he?" the auburn woman asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"Auntie..."

"Please Ranko-chan, please tell me the truth even if it casts my husband in an unfavorable light," Nodoka pleaded as she squeezed her guest's hands in desperation. "I must know what has happened to my child."

Ranko nodded. In a voice worn by time itself, she started telling her mother everything that had happened to her over the years under Genma's care apart from the NekoKen and Jusenkyo. She heard the older woman gasp in shock numerous times at the inhumane and often torturous methods her father had employed while trying to train her as a martial artist.

"That... That barbarian! How dare he abuse _my_ child," the Saotome matriarch growled angrily as she surged to her feet and began pacing around the living room like a caged animal. "I'll... I'll... Oh, when I get my hands on him..."

"He was planning on staying with the Tendos if you want to, um, 'talk' to him," the younger redhead supplied helpfully and started giggling at the darkening expression on her mother's face. Oh, Genma-baka was definitely going to get his and the best part was he wouldn't even see it coming.

"Tendo? Oh yes, Soun Tendo, Genma's old training partner. Kimiko was my best friend until..." Nodoka said before trailing off, her anger vanishing instantly as sadness nearly overwhelmed her when she remembered how the blue haired woman had fallen ill and wasted away. She sank heavily onto the couch with a deep sigh and asked in a small voice, "There's more, isn't there?"

Ranko fell silent for several minutes as she considered the pros and cons of telling her mother about the last few months of her training trip. She didn't want to overload the poor woman and didn't believe there was a pressing need to inform her mother about the NekoKen. Jusenkyo seemed far too fantastic to believe without proof. While the redhead knew she could easily provide such proof by showing her mother her curse, she wasn't entirely certain that was such a good idea. Who knew how the woman would react having her world view forever shattered like that. Still, she had to know whether her mother would accept her completely and that meant showing her exactly what had happened to her.

"Ranko-chan?" the elder redhead asked tentatively as she looked up at her guest with tears in her eyes and silently pleaded there wasn't anything else. She really didn't think she could handle anything worse than what the girl had already told her. How much worse could it be than hearing her son had been thrown into a freezing lake wrapped in chains in order to learn to hold his breath? How about being chased by a pack of wolves in the dead of night to increase his running speed and situational awareness? What about being catapulted into trees to increase his endurance or thrown off roofs in order to learn how to take a fall?

"I'm sorry Auntie, but yes, there is one more thing…" Ranko replied softly before trailing off.

"Is it worse than what you've already told me?" Nodoka asked in trepidation.

"Your husband seems to think so," the younger redhead admitted sourly as she looked into her mother's shining brown eyes.

"Please Ranko-chan, please tell me despite his father's foolishness that my baby is still alive," the elder redhead pleaded as she clenched her hands over her heart and the tears she had been struggling to hold back starting running freely down her cheeks.

Ranko smiled softly and took her mother's hands in her own as she said in a gentle tone, "Ranma is still alive Auntie, I promise. Somehow, by the grace of the kami he managed to survive his hellish childhood. Despite his father's dubious methods, he's become a really good martial artist and I think you would be proud of him. Despite Genma's lack of honor, Ranma has striven to remain honorable even though he's had to do some questionable things over the years just to survive. He's incredibly loyal, courageous and willing to go to any lengths necessary to do what he feels is right."

"Oh my, so manly," Nodoka beamed happily, completely missing her guest's wince. "How about you Ranko-chan, have you become an honorable young lady?"

"I'd like to think so," the younger redhead replied quietly and started fidgeting on the couch as she considered her next course of action. Despite how unsettling her mother's 'manly' comment and subsequent reaction made her feel, Ranko knew her time was nearly up. She needed to show the older woman the truth. Regardless of the consequences, she knew she would feel better in the long run if she knew how her mother truly felt about her curse. If the woman reacted badly, she would need a plan for her own survival and figured it was better to get the rejection over with so she could move on with her life.

Standing up, Ranko looked down at her mother and asked, "Um, Auntie, could we please go into the kitchen? I have something I need to show you, but I'm going to need some hot and cold water to do so."

"Of course, dear," the Saotome woman replied with a bewildered look on her face as she stood and started leading her guest towards the kitchen all the while wondering what Ranko could possibly need two different temperature waters for. It was obvious the girl wasn't thirsty, not with such a specific request.

* * *

Once they were in the kitchen, Nodoka began heating up a kettle when she turned toward her guest and asked, "How hot do you need the water to be?"

"I'm not sure exactly, I just know it needs to be warmer than tap," the redhead replied as she poured a cup of cold water from the faucet and set it on the counter. The elder redhead nodded and adjusted the dial on the stove accordingly.

Ranko sighed heavily before turning to stare out the kitchen window, her voice sounding far away as she began her tale. "About a month ago, your husband dragged Ranma to a place in western China called Jusenkyo. Supposedly, it was some sort of legendary training ground where visitors could practice their balance and jumping abilities by hopping from one bamboo pole to another. If you missed or lost your balance, you fell into one of the hundreds of springs located throughout the valley. It seemed innocent enough, however there's a dark side to the place in that the pools themselves are cursed. If you fall in, you're forced to take on the form of whoever or whatever drowned in that particular spring hundreds or even thousands of years ago."

"Cursed? Come now Ranko-chan, you don't seriously think I'm going to believe something like that do you?" the elder Saotome remonstrated gently as she watched the teenager continue to stare thoughtfully out the window.

"I swear Auntie, I'm not making it up," the younger redhead insisted as she turned to face her mother. "If you go to the Tendos and come across a panda, splash it with hot water and you'll find your husband. Alternatively, if you manage to find him human you can splash him with cold water and turn him into a panda."

"You're serious, aren't you?" Nodoka asked softly, her hand covering her mouth in shock as she felt the blood drain from her face. If her husband was truly cursed then it was likely Ranma was as well. Could it be? The elder Saotome gazed at her guest for several moments and couldn't help but wonder whether she had been talking to her son all along. The girl looked practically identical to how she had as a teenager, her tomboyish clothing notwithstanding, which should be impossible unless they were family.

Ranko nodded slowly as she poured herself a cup of hot water and tested the temperature with a finger. She wasn't sure how much water was required to change forms, but it seemed hot enough. Turning off the stove, she turned towards her mother and sighed deeply as she said, "I'm really sorry Auntie. I just wanted to get to know you as my true self..."

"What do you mean by that?" the Saotome matriarch asked in confusion, her eyes widening in shock when she noticed the redhead had picked up the cup of hot water. Realization dawned as she recalled the girl's story and she felt like her heart was falling down a well. The girl in front of her wasn't just some informant but rather her son in curse form. The teenager simply knew too much to not have been there and her husband never mentioned anything about traveling with a girl. "You're him, aren't you? _You're_ Ranma!"

The younger redhead just nodded before dumping the hot water over her head.

Nodoka watched in horror as her guest started growing larger, the girl's breasts flattening into a washboard chest while the beautiful scarlet hair turned black. She raised a hand to her mouth in shock as her son appeared before her eyes and swayed for a few moments before catching herself on the counter. Even though she hadn't seen her son in the flesh for over ten years, she knew what he looked like from pictures Genma had sent occasionally.

"Ranma? Is that _really_ you?" the auburn haired woman ventured cautiously, afraid she was seeing a mirage and her son wasn't truly standing where her guest had been moments earlier.

"Yes Mother," the dark haired boy replied quietly before turning to stare out the kitchen window again as a tear slipped down his cheek. He had seen the look of horror on his mother's face and it didn't take a genius to realize the woman was unhappy with his appearance. The woman didn't need to say it; Ranma knew she wouldn't accept him as her child and consigned himself to the misery of knowing neither of his parents would ever really love him as his true self.

Without another word, Ranma grabbed the cup of cold water and poured it over his head, reverting to his feminine form before heading for the genkan where she had left her belongings. The redhead didn't know what she was going to do, but whatever it was wouldn't likely involve either of her parents. Perhaps she could return to Nyucheizu and live with Cologne and Shampoo, maybe even improve her magical abilities so people wouldn't wind up hurt when she lost control.

* * *

Ranko was nearly to the front door when Nodoka called out to her. The teenager stopped and slowly turned around, arching an eyebrow in confusion as she studied the older redhead. Daring to hope her mother had simply been too surprised and would still accept her, she started walking towards the older woman who remained in the doorway leading to the kitchen.

"Ranma, my son, please…"

"I'm sorry Mother, but I'm not your son. I am your daughter-," the younger redhead started only to stop walking when her mother cut her off.

"I have no daughter, not anymore," Nodoka interrupted sadly as she walked through the tea room towards the mantel residing above the fireplace. She gazed at the Saotome family blade for several seconds before carefully removing it from its place of honor atop the mantel. The elder redhead slowly unsheathed the blade and stared at her reflection for several minutes as she contemplated her next course of action.

How she wanted to forget the Seppuku contract and hold onto her child for dear life, but tradition and honor demanded her son uphold the contract and return a man amongst men. Looking at the petite redhead watching her in silence and comparing her with the girl she'd spoken with all afternoon it was obvious Ranma wasn't a boy. Even before her husband had taken their son on that damned training trip she'd never thought he was particularly manly. He had been such a sweet and sensitive child who hadn't had the slightest interest in martial arts. Instead, he'd been more interested in activities traditionally viewed as feminine such as: music, dance, cooking and gardening.

"Ranma, are you aware of the oath you and your father made before you left?" Nodoka asked solemnly as she slowly pulled out an aged piece of paper. When the girl replied in the negative, the elder Saotome sighed before continuing, "You promised you would return a man amongst men or commit seppuku. It's obvious you've succumbed to the curse and are not the manly son I was promised. I'm sorry, but unless you drop the feminine behavior and start behaving like a man, I'll have no choice but to call upon you to fulfill your oath."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ranko replied neutrally as she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up and felt a pang in her heart as another parent, someone who was supposed to love and care for her, betrayed her over something meaningless. "I never would've agreed to anything _that_ stupid. It sounds like something the panda would've come up with though."

She knew her father was insane; her decade long training trip had proven that but now it seemed like her mother was as well. At least one of her burning questions had been answered. For the longest time she had wondered whether she'd done something wrong and her mother didn't want her or if her father had stolen her right out from under the woman's nose. It was obvious now; Nodoka was ashamed of her because she wasn't manly and had deliberately allowed the sadistic bastard to mentally, emotionally and physically abuse her for the last ten years.

Nodoka's expression hardened as she approached her wayward child and handed her a copy of the seppuku contract before replying in a steely tone, "You agreed to it Ranma, that's your signature right there."

"What signature?" Ranko demanded acidly as she studied the sheet of paper, tempted to use her magic and try to make the contract burst into flames right then and there. Rather than do anything to scare her mother half to death, she decided to continue their dialog and try to convince the woman to drop the matter. "All I see are two signatures, yours and Pop's, along with a child's handprint."

Understanding what her mother was getting at, the younger redhead's eyes widened in shock as she yelled incredulously, "You _can't_ be serious! You really expect me to uphold something I couldn't even read or hope to understand and was tricked into putting my hand print on?"

"You told me earlier you had become an honorable man despite your father's alleged actions," Nodoka growled angrily as she ripped the contract out of her child's unresisting fingers and walked back towards the fireplace. Picking up the honor blade, the elder Saotome continued coldly, "From where I'm standing, I would say you've not only failed in your oath but have tried to lie about it as well, both of which I consider dishonorable. Because I am a merciful woman, I will grant you one last chance to atone for your sins. You will become the man amongst men you promised me or you will commit seppuku. If you continue to defy me, you will have no honor in my eyes and I shall cast you from the Saotome clan."

"So, let me get this straight, _Mother,_" Ranko snarled with contempt as she glared hatefully at the taller woman. Her eyes darkened until they were a demonic reddish-purple color as her dark aura exploded around her body. Ignoring her mother's startled gasp, she continued in a dangerous tone, "I either become something I'm not or die just so I can be part of a family that doesn't give two shits about who I really am or what I want. Yeah, I think not. Your idiotic husband tried something similar when I refused to continue the charade after Jusenkyo. I've never been happy as a boy and I hated that stupid training trip, but then what I've wanted has never truly mattered has it? It was always about you two and I was just a means to an end. Since it's obvious you don't really care about _me,_ why don't you take your holier than thou attitude, your 'man amongst men' bullshit and fuck off!"

"Get out!" Nodoka shouted angrily, trying desperately to mask her fear as she pointed towards the front door with her sword.

"Gladly," the teenager spat as she stomped towards the genkan. After slipping on her shoes and grabbing her backpack, she threw open the door only to glare at her mother for a few moments before continuing in a deathly calm voice, "You know, _Auntie_, I came here hoping I would have a mother again because I _thought,_ maybe, she would love me when my father clearly does not. I figured she would be happy to know her child was still alive despite everything that sadistic son of a bitch put me through. I _thought_ my own mother would accept me for who I really am but apparently I was wrong!"

Without another word, Ranko stormed out of the house and started running down the street in a random direction, not particularly caring where her feet led her. Had she bothered to look, she would've noticed her mother drop to her knees and bury her head in her hands before bursting into tears. Not that she would've cared, as far as she was concerned her mother had thrown her away over some meaningless tripe that had no place in the modern world.

* * *

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* * *

Ranko had no idea how long she wandered as she desperately tried to outrun her pain. She couldn't believe what she had said to her mother. Even more upsetting was the fact the woman seemed willing to kill her just because she didn't act like a slobbering Neanderthal. While she had never understood what her parents meant by 'man amongst men', Ranko was confident even if she felt like a guy she wouldn't want anything to do with it.

It hadn't taken long for her anger to be replaced with a profound sadness, her heart shattered from her mother's rejection. Genma hating her she could understand; the man was a chauvinistic pig who thought women were generally worthless beyond birthing babies and taking care of the home. Nodoka confused her though; she had expected some measure of understanding from a woman who had spent the last decade missing her family. Apparently 'honor' was more important than love and being true to oneself.

As she continued to wander around Nerima and her depression worsened, Ranko started to notice a drop in air temperature and substantial increase in wind strength as the clouds above her darkened in a matter of minutes. The redhead cursed under her breath and started running as the sky opened up all around her, lightning bolts flashing angrily across the heavens as torrents of rain slashed her exposed skin while deep rumbles of thunder shook the very ground. It was almost as though she were in the middle of a typhoon. She didn't understand where the sudden storm had come from but also knew that it didn't really matter. She needed to find shelter.

The redhead blindly dashed around a corner, desperate to find somewhere she could ride out the storm when sounds of a blaring horn and squealing tires caught her attention. Turning at the sudden noise, her eyes widened in shock and she barely had time to scream before an out of control pickup truck slammed into her body. Unbeknownst to everyone, a translucent spherical bubble had briefly formed around her body just before she was violently thrown into a nearby white pillar with the words Acupressure, Acupuncture and Moxibustion written upon it.

* * *

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* * *

Meanwhile, a sixteen-year-old blue haired girl named Ami Mizuno was lying on her bed reading an Advanced Chemistry book when her Senshi computer started beeping. Setting her 'recreational' reading aside, she frowned as she climbed out of bed and walked over to her desk. Opening the small laptop style computer, the magical girl gasped as her hand flew to her mouth in shock. According to the computer, there was a massive dark magic disturbance forming within the Nerima ward on the western side of Tokyo.

"What the...? Nerima's never been a hotbed of demonic or dark magic activity before," the short haired girl whispered nervously as she spent several minutes watching the disturbance steadily increase in size on her computer screen. She knew if something wasn't done, it wouldn't be long before the entire Tokyo area was engulfed in whatever was going on.

Activating her Senshi communicator, Ami took a few moments to steady her voice before saying, "Girls, this is Mercury. We may have a new problem..."

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**_Author's Notes: _**

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it._

_Publish Date: January 29th__, 2020_


	4. Secrets, part I: Ghosts of the Past

Disclaimer:

Sadly, I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima, or the colorful characters Rumiko Takahashi created for us. I have been planning a transgender story for awhile now and have finally decided to try it. Unlike other stories using this same premise, this will not be a simple retelling of the manga. There will be canon events; however, they are not the focus of this story. There will be a number of plots and sub-plots that play out as Ranma discovers who and what she really is as opposed to what she had been led to believe growing up. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language#, *panda signs*, "spoken", '_thoughts_', [_telepathic messages_]

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**The Butterfly Effect**

Chapter Three

_Secrets, part I: Ghosts of the Past_

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**(Saturday, May 2****nd****, 1992, Early Evening)**

Ranko slowly opened her eyes and discovered she was lying on a hospital bed in a relatively small examination room. The last thing she could remember was running blindly into the street and being hit by a truck. Frankly, she was surprised she was even still alive. Following her mother's rejection, she hadn't been particularly aware of her surroundings and a small part of her hadn't cared whether she lived or not. Her parents seemed to hate her just because she was a girl rather than the 'man amongst men' they wanted. If her mother was to be believed, her long lost younger sister she'd never known was also gone.

"Now what do I do?" she whispered in a despondent tone before slowly sitting up to ascertain her injuries. She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious but the fact she looked only moderately bruised with a few scrapes seemed to suggest she'd been out for several days, if not weeks. None of her bones appeared to be broken which was strange in itself considering she'd been hit by a truck and thrown into a stone pillar.

Her thoughts were derailed when the door to her room opened and an attractive light brown haired bespectacled younger man poked his head into the room. Seeing that she was awake, the man smiled warmly and stepped fully into the room. She raised an eyebrow at the stranger's peculiar outfit. While the clipboard, doctor's coat and stethoscope were things she would expect from a medical professional, the black dougi the man wore underneath seemed odd.

"Greetings Miss, my name is Doctor Tofu Ono," the sandy haired man said in a jovial tone as he walked up to her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad, considering..."

Tofu nodded and rechecked his chart, uncertain what to make of the young woman lying on the bed in front of him. The fact she was only moderately injured after being hit by a truck and smashed into a pillar was unbelievable. Following the accident, the driver had carried her unconscious form inside and laid her on an examination bed. While waiting for the police to arrive and file their report, he had started examining her to make sure she was alright. What he had found was astonishing. He didn't know what the dark energy flowing within her body was but the fact she survived the accident in the shape she had was nothing short of miraculous.

"What is the last thing you remember?" the doctor asked gently as he examined the wounds on his patient's face, arms and legs he could see around her light blue hospital gown.

"Being hit by a truck," Ranko replied with a soft giggle as she shook her head in disbelief. She winced as pain flared within her head and continued, "Actually, I'm surprised I'm even still alive. How long have I been out?"

"About four hours..."

"That's it?" the redhead asked incredulously, her eyes widening in shock at her apparent recovery time. What was going on? She didn't have any of the Amazon healing balm so how could she have possibly mostly recovered in such a short amount of time?

"That's it," Tofu confirmed quietly. "Miss, I realize this might make you uncomfortable, but I really need to finish examining you in order to make sure you're alright."

"Um, is there a female doctor or assistant that can be in the room with me while you do that?" Ranko asked nervously.

"Not presently, but I can call my associate and ask her to come if that'll help you feel more comfortable," the sandy haired man said in a gentle tone. He wasn't offended his patient wanted another female present while he completed his examination. "She's not a medical doctor but I think she would be a very good choice and I know she'll be absolutely thrilled to meet you."

"Why's that?"

"Let's just say you bear a striking resemblance to someone she knows very well," Tofu replied with a grin. "I would prefer she were present before I tell you anything more if that's agreeable to you."

"I suppose," Ranko replied with a heavy sigh as she lay on the bed and closed her eyes. Once the doctor had left the room and the door closed, she opened her eyes again and looked around. Other than the hospital bed, there wasn't much in the way of furnishings for the small room. A counter containing a sink and cabinets of medical supplies ran along the opposite wall stopping just before a door that lead to a hallway and the rest of the clinic. Opposite the counter and in the corner in front of her bed was a comfortable looking chair where a visitor could sit.

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* * *

About an hour later, Ranko was brought out of her meditative trance by the sound of someone knocking softly on her door. After calling for her visitor to enter, the door opened to reveal two young/middle-aged adults, one male and one female. The male she recognized as Doctor Tofu, but the female was a mystery.

"Hello again Miss, I'm happy to see that you're awake. May I present my friend and colleague, Doctor Nikki Kimura," Tofu said with a smile as the two of them walked into the room.

"Doctor? I thought you said she _wasn't_ a doctor Tofu-sensei," Ranko asked as she looked at the adults in confusion.

The sandy haired man chuckled for a moment and shook his head as he said, "No Miss, I said Kimura-san wasn't a _medical_ doctor and she isn't. She's a psychologist, a mind healer if you will. She's someone who's been trained to understand the mental and emotional conditions of her patients as I've been for the physical and medical."

Ranko nodded slowly as she examined the stranger. Nikki Kimura was an attractive middle-aged woman with shoulder length chestnut brown hair and warm emerald eyes that were looking at her with concern. The woman was dressed in a casual floral print blouse/white skirt combination and she could feel warmth radiating from her aura like a miniature sun. If she had to come up with a name for it, she would call it motherly though she couldn't be certain due to her limited experience with such feelings.

"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am, my name is Ranko Saotome," she said with a small smile as she offered her hand. The adults hesitated briefly but only because Japanese people didn't typically touch in greeting like many Western cultures did. After shaking hands with both adults, she continued pleasantly, "Thank you for helping me earlier Tofu-sensei. I imagine I was in pretty rough shape."

"You're quite welcome Ranko-chan," Tofu replied pleasantly. "Speaking of earlier, there's something really strange about what happened to you that's confusing me. By all accounts you should be dead or at the very least seriously injured and yet all I've been able to ascertain are some moderate scrapes and bruising. As if that wasn't strange enough, I've also sensed a strange dark energy flowing within you I've never encountered before. Can you shed light on any of this?"

"Not much I'm afraid," Ranko replied softly as she looked down at her folded hands in her lap. "While I was in China, I had an accident and lost most of my chi and martial arts abilities. Instead, I have this strange energy flowing within me that one of the elders called mana. She also said that I was a sorceress and suggested I try meditation to see if I could learn to control it. I still can't, but I've had a few instances of what she termed 'wild' or 'accidental' magic which has only happened while I was really upset."

Tofu looked at his colleague and nodded, knowing they would need to revisit the issue of 'magic' at a later date. The two of them had also discussed the possibility that Ranko was a runaway given her backpack and unusual clothing and what they could do to help.

Turning back to his patient, the doctor asked in concern, "The driver of the truck said you ran into the street in front of him without appearing to realize it. Would you mind telling us what happened to you prior to the accident?"

"I suppose," the redhead muttered uncertainly without looking up.

"Ranko-chan?" Nikki asked softly as she laid a warm and gentle hand on top of hers. "You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to, but I want you to know that I'm available if you want to talk, woman to woman. As Tofu-kun said, I'm a licensed psychologist and I may be able to help."

"Does talking help?" Ranko asked in a small voice as she looked up at the older woman, her deep blue eyes beginning to shimmer with unshed tears.

"Sometimes," the elder Kimura replied with a soft smile as she gently squeezed her patient's hands. Even though Tofu had warned her, she still couldn't believe the uncanny resemblance between the teenager in front of her and her eight-year-old adoptive daughter. Nikki was certain Reiko would be very interested in meeting her twin and couldn't wait to see the looks on the girls' faces when they met. Apart from their respective ages, and perhaps hair style, the two girls were a mirror image of one another which shouldn't have been possible unless they were family.

Ranko sighed deeply and nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks as she started to explain, "For the last ten years my father and I have been on a martial arts training journey. We wandered mostly around Japan but for the last eight months or so we've been in China. I finally returned home just this afternoon. It took me awhile, but I managed to find my mother, figuring I would live with her. You'd think she would've been happy to see her child again after being separated for so long but instead she called me a disgrace and threw me out of the house.

"As if that weren't bad enough, while I was wandering around trying not to think about much of anything, a wicked thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere and I was caught in it," the redhead continued. Ranko grimaced as she remembered the events that followed and how close she'd come to being killed or seriously injured. "Now, you may think it's strange considering my wanderer background, but I've always been terribly frightened of thunderstorms. When the storm hit I panicked and started running as fast as I could. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and wound up running into the street and getting hit by that truck."

"Oh Ranko-chan, I'm so sorry," the chestnut-haired woman exclaimed as she moved to sit on the bed before gently pulling the distraught redhead into a motherly embrace. Ordinarily, she would keep professional decorum when dealing with patients but felt it was more important to comfort the girl as a mother than remain clinically detached. Besides, given the impossible resemblance between Ranko and her own adoptive daughter, she suspected the girl would likely become family somewhere down the line since it sounded like the girl's parents had disowned her.

Silence stretched between them for several minutes as Nikki continued to hold and comfort the slight girl in her arms. Ranko sighed in contentment as she melted in the older woman's embrace and wondered why her mother couldn't be like Nikki Kimura. The woman was so warm and compassionate, and it made her heart ache to know her parents hated her just because she wasn't a man. Why couldn't she have had someone like Nikki as her mother instead of a cold, manly obsessed sword wielding psychopath?

The elder Kimura absently noted Tofu had slipped out of the room and said in a thoughtful tone, "You know Ranko-chan, you remind me a lot of my adoptive daughter Reiko. She's only eight years old but I swear the two of you look so much alike you'd easily be twins if you were the same age. Would you like to meet her? I know she would be absolutely thrilled to meet you."

"Reiko?" Ranko gasped in surprise, her eyes widening in shock as she leaned back and stared into the other woman's emerald green eyes. Could it really be the same Reiko her mother had mentioned, the one she'd thought may have been her long-lost sister? It seemed likely, considering how rare Japanese redheads were in general and the fact that according to Nikki, the two of them were practically identical. Something wasn't quite adding up though, hadn't she said Reiko was eight?

'_How can Reiko be my sister when Father and I have been gone for ten years?_' the redhead wondered as she considered everything she'd been told along with the facts as she knew them. After thinking it over for several minutes, she nodded to herself when she realized there was only one logical conclusion. If it was true, Nodoka Saotome had a lot of nerve calling _her_ dishonorable. Still, perhaps there was another explanation and her mother wasn't the cheating whore circumstances seemed to indicate. Maybe something _worse_ had happened, but that still didn't excuse the woman for abandoning her child.

Ranko shivered at that thought and shook her head to clear it. Deciding she needed more information before she could make any accusations, the redhead turned towards the kind woman sitting beside her and asked softly, "Forgive me Kimura-sensei, but could you please tell me when you adopted Reiko and who her biological mother is?"

"I'm afraid I can't recall the details off the top of my head, but I'll look them up tonight and let you know," Nikki replied as she regarded her patient thoughtfully. Everything seemed to indicate Ranko and Reiko were blood sisters, nothing else made sense. She knew she would need to check her records, see if they listed the mother's name and whether that name was Saotome.

"How? I mean, it's not like I have a home or anything..." the teenager asked bitterly as she looked down at her lap, her unshed tears starting to run down her cheeks again.

"There there, don't worry dear," the elder Kimura soothed as she pulled her patient into a heartwarming embrace and started to gently rub the smaller girl's back. Ignoring how the redhead's tears were soaking her blouse, Nikki continued softly, "Tofu-sensei wants to keep you overnight for observation and make sure everything's alright. Reiko and I will come by in the morning. You can meet her then and we'll take things from there alright?"

"I'd like that, thank you for everything Kimura-sensei."

"You're welcome Ranko-chan," Nikki said soothingly as she slowly relaxed her embrace and allowed the redhead to lie back down. "You've already been through quite a bit today, so you should probably get some rest. We'll talk again in the morning."

"Okay..." Ranko mumbled as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

.

* * *

**(Sunday, May 3****rd****, 1992, Early Morning)**

Ranko moaned quietly as she reluctantly opened her eyes only to blink in confusion when she found herself in a bedroom. Morning amnesia gradually wore off and memories of the previous day trickled into her consciousness. She'd gone from waking up somewhere in the Pacific Ocean and looking forward to seeing her mother after ten years only to find herself cast aside once again. Fortunately, thanks to the kindness of Nikki Kimura and Tofu Ono, she felt like she'd been given a new lease on life and a new purpose. Despite the adults' assurances, she couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. What if her little sister didn't like her?

'_If Reiko really is my baby sister, would Kimura-sensei be willing to adopt me?_' she wondered as she climbed out of the bed and walked towards her dresser. Apparently, Tofu had given her the guest room in his apartment above the clinic since the last thing she could remember was waking up in a hospital bed wearing nothing more than a pair of panties and a flimsy medical gown. She had a comfortable queen sized western style bed, a dresser with a mirror and a desk. There were two shelves lining the far wall that were filled with books on almost every topic marginally involved with medicine imaginable.

'_She was so warm and caring, unlike __**her**__, and I would love to have a real family,_' Ranko thought as she stripped off her pajamas before slipping on a sports bra and changing into her red Chinese shirt/black kung fu pants combination. '_I can't be the one to bring it up though. That would be rude. I'll just have to be patient and wait to see how things develop._'

Shrugging her shoulders, the redhead took care of some personal business before wandering around the clinic/apartment looking for her host. She finally found him in the backyard performing a Tai Chi kata and smiled as she leaned against the wall to watch. She could see why Nikki thought the doctor was handsome and found herself admiring the man's form as he effortlessly flowed from one form to the next.

'_He's cute, wonder if he's seeing anyone,_' Ranko thought dreamily, a blush spreading across her face as she continued to watch. Realizing what she'd just thought, the redhead started pondering her body's reactions and wondered if maybe she wasn't the die hard lesbian she'd believed herself to be. She wasn't sure whether she could ever become romantically involved with a man but she knew she didn't find them all repulsive either.

"Good morning Tofu-sensei," she called cheerfully as she pushed off the wall and walked into the backyard.

"Good morning Ranko-chan. How are you feeling, did you sleep well?" Tofu inquired happily as he stopped his kata and started walking towards his patient. As he approached, the doctor scanned his patient's body for any remaining sign of injury. He stopped a few feet away and blinked, scarcely believing his eyes. While neither of them could explain why Ranko had only been moderately injured given what she'd gone through, what bruises and scrapes remaining almost seemed to be completely gone. It was almost as though she had never been injured at all.

"I slept like a baby and feel great, thank you," Ranko replied with a brilliant smile as she started limbering up her muscles for her own morning exercises.

"I still don't understand how you're able to heal so quickly. Given your chi-levels it shouldn't be possible," the sandy haired man said as he continued to study his patient while she stretched. The only explanation that made any sense to him was that somehow the strange energy flowing within the girl's body was responsible for her accelerated healing. After a few moments, he started to feel his lower regions stir as he watched slacked jawed while the petite redhead contorted her body in tantalizing ways that could equally be utilized in martial arts and the bedroom.

Ranko just smirked at the man's slack jawed look and launched into a kata she had modified specifically to show off her form and grace. She knew she wasn't being fair to the man who had helped her, but she also needed to know whether she could trust him and his intentions. Unlike the naked stranger she had encountered in Jusenkyo, she didn't feel uneasy around the good-natured doctor.

"I suspect we have a lot to talk about Tofu-sensei. Let's finish our morning exercises and then discuss it over breakfast," the redhead suggested as she continued to twist and twirl in complicated patterns. Despite Nikki telling her not to worry, she couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen to her. She might have a younger sister but that didn't change the fact her mother had thrown her out and she had no where to go.

"That we do," Tofu acknowledged before returning to his morning kata. It was designed to calm the mind and prepare him for the day ahead. Thanks to his guest's rather provocative movements, he realized he would need the calming affect even more than usual. It was bad enough he was attracted to Kasumi, who didn't seem to return his affections, he didn't need to start falling for someone several years younger who was even less likely to be interested.

Fifteen minutes later Ranko stopped her kata and asked, "Tofu-sensei, would you like to spar?"

The man in question stopped his own kata and smiled as he said, "Sure."

The martial artists bowed to one another before assuming their opening positions, Ranko favoring a neutral stance while Tofu took on a more defensive one. The redhead wasn't surprised and figured she would have to be the aggressor. Ordinarily that was not a position she favored but everything she'd seen seemed to indicate Tofu only practiced defensive martial arts. The fact he was a doctor didn't contribute to this as much as one might think. Tofu was a pacifist by nature but that didn't mean he couldn't protect himself or another should the situation call for it.

Ranko charged forward and leapt into a flying jump kick, deciding to test the man's defensive capabilities in the most straight forward manner to start. She could feel the mana within her begin to churn in anticipation. Unsurprisingly, Tofu dodged her attack, but she'd been prepared for that and unleashed a combination of punches and kicks which the doctor weaved in and out as though he were composed of smoke.

"You're pretty good Sensei, I would've hit a normal martial artist by now," the redhead said with a smile a few minutes later as she continued her relentless assault.

"You know I'm a pacifist and don't like to hurt people. That said, I do have a few tricks up my sleeves," Tofu replied with his own grin as he started counterattacking with pressure point attacks.

Having been trained by Genma and several others over the years, Ranko knew all about pressure point attacks and managed to avoid them easily which resulted in a stalemate since neither seemed capable of hitting the other.

"You know, this is getting us nowhere. Neither of us can hit one another," the Saotome heiress quipped in amusement as she disengaged to a safe distance. She could feel the mana within her begging for release and frowned when she remembered the last time she'd let loose. She had lost her temper and nearly killed her father in her anger. There had to be a way she could utilize it without the threat of death and destruction.

"I agree," Tofu acknowledged as he resumed a more neutral stance. "How about we get cleaned up and enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast instead?"

Ranko giggled quietly at that and nodded as she said, "Sounds good to me."

As the two of them walked towards the clinic, Tofu looked over at his companion and said pleasantly, "You're pretty good yourself Ranko-chan. I know you would've preferred never to have gone on that martial arts training trip but you managed to acquire an impressive amount of skill for someone so young."

"Thank you, Tofu-sensei," Ranko said with a brilliant smile as she linked arms with the older man while they continued inside.

* * *

.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Ranko and Tofu were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a nice leisurely breakfast. Before diving into the deeper topics he wanted to discuss, he asked his guest about her martial arts history, places she'd been and what kind of things she had learned. She found it easy to talk to the older man about most of her training though she kept certain things, such as Jusenkyo and the NekoKen, secret. By the time she had finished, Tofu looked like he wanted to strangle Genma himself for what the idiot had put her through.

"Ranko-chan, I think now would be a good time for us to talk about something Nikki and I discussed last night," Tofu started gently as he searched his patient's teary blue eyes. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for, but he felt his heart break when all he saw was pain and longing. Given what he knew about the girl's abusive father and the treatment she had received from her mother, it was logical to conclude the redhead had never had much of a family and that was all she truly wanted.

"We've come to an agreement we both think will be very good for you," he continued with a smile. "Now, before you get angry and start thinking we're trying to control your life, let me assure you nothing could be further from the truth. Before we get into that though, I need to know what your plans are."

"My plans?" Ranko repeated in a small voice and looked down at her hands as tears started running down her face. "I don't really have any plans at the moment Tofu-sensei. The only reason I returned to Nerima in the first place was to find my mother and you know how well that turned out. That said, now that I know about Reiko, I need to stay and see what kind of life I can build with her."

"I'm glad you're considering staying," the doctor said softly. "Nikki and I have an offer for you we would like you to consider. If you find it agreeable, you would live here and the room you woke up in this morning will become yours. You would work here part time as my receptionist and handle the administrative tasks including filing, answering the phone, dealing with patient invoices and appointments. I'll even start teaching you medicine and training you to become a nurse if you want.

"In addition to having a place to call home and a job, you would also be attending Furinkan High to finish your education," Tofu continued. "The reason Nikki and I are willing to do this is simple, we want to give you the best possible chance at succeeding in life. There's a very real possibility you are Reiko's older sister and neither of us want to see you leave to face life on the road again, always wandering from place to place devoid of friends, family and a real future."

"You're willing to do all of that just for me?" the Saotome girl asked incredulously as she stared at her companion in shock. No one had ever gone so far out of their way to help her in the past except for Cologne. Even then that hadn't been for very long once the older woman had spent some time researching the archives and talked with the other elders. If the man could be believed, it sounded like she would have a home for the next three years. It would give her a chance to go to school, make friends and connect with her little sister in a way that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

"You deserve a chance to be happy," the sandy haired man said in a warm and caring tone as he climbed out of his chair and walked over to where his guest was sitting. Offering the redhead his hand, he smiled when she acquiesced and gently pulled the crying girl to her feet.

"Thank you so much Tofu-sensei, you have no idea how much this means to me," Ranko said happily as she buried her head in her benefactor's chest and started crying in earnest. She couldn't believe the man, who was a stranger to her, would be kind enough to open his home to a runaway and give her a chance to turn her life around.

"You're quite welcome Ranko-chan," Tofu replied softly as he gently held the smaller girl in his arms and allowed her to cry for as long as she needed. He'd often wondered what it might be like to have a daughter. Perhaps he would finally have a chance to find out whether he was cut out for fatherhood, not that he presently had a wife, fiancée or even a girlfriend...

* * *

.

* * *

Several hours later, Ranko was sitting at the front desk wearing her purple and red 'dragon' cheongsam going over patient files when she heard the front door open. She was about to greet the newcomers only to gasp in shock, her voice dying in her throat. Her eyes widened in surprise as they focused on a young red-haired girl wearing a cute pale blue dress with dark blue trim and white tennis shoes. It couldn't be, could it?

"Good morning Ranko-chan," Nikki greeted warmly as she placed her hands on her young companion's shoulders. "I would like to introduce you to my adoptive daughter, Reiko Kimura."

The redheads froze in shock as they stared at one another, scarcely believing what they were seeing. Other than certain physiological differences brought upon by age, they were the spitting image of one another. Everything, the scarlet hair, including how it was styled in a ponytail, the piercing deep blue eyes, the light dusting of freckles on their cheeks, even the classic heart shape of their faces was nearly identical. How was that possible?

After staring a little too long, Ranko finally found her voice and greeted quietly, "H-Hello Reiko-chan, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"H-Hi Ranko-senpai," the eight-year-old replied shyly as she looked down at her feet.

"Ranko-chan, I did some digging around last night and found Reiko's adoption records," Nikki said as she opened her purse and pulled out a handful of papers. "Unfortunately, the agency sealed all the records that may have mentioned Reiko's birth mother, so we can't verify whether or not you're sisters without genetic testing. Legal issues aside, I think your resemblance is far too uncanny for the two of you to be anything _but_ sisters."

Ranko found she was unable to speak and merely nodded as tears started running down her face. She had a sister? Not only that but her sister was still alive? Her mother had made it sound like the girl was dead. In that moment, she knew her life would never be the same and her heart exploded within her chest. She had family that might care about her?

Reiko broke out of her mother's loose grip and ran around the desk before launching herself at her sister as she screamed happily, "Oneechan!"

The teenager reflexively wrapped her arms around her younger twin to keep the girl from falling as they hugged one another fiercely. She started to gently stroke the smaller redhead's back and whispered in awe, "I have a sister..."

Nikki watched the girls with a warm smile on her face and said, "Maybe one day we'll actually be able to prove it, but for now I think we can safely assume the two of you are sisters. Ranko-chan, if you're ready to go, we were going to go to the park for awhile before going out to lunch if you'd care to join us. It would give you two a chance to get to know one another."

"I'd like that, assuming Tofu-sensei says I can go. He's my boss you know," Ranko replied with a smile as the eight-year-old in her lap leaned back and looked up at her with damp eyes and a hopeful expression on her face.

Tofu walked in and smiled when he noticed the twin redheads and said, "Good morning Nikki-san, Reiko-chan. Ranko-chan, I think it would be a wonderful idea for you to spend time with your sister and get to know her. Whenever you're ready, you are free to go. I really didn't expect you to get much done today and it was more to get you acquainted with my policies and procedures."

"Thank you, Tofu-sensei," the teenager said as she pulled her twin into another heartwarming hug.

"Go ahead and leave the computer on, I'll get some work done while you're out," the doctor said as he walked towards the desk where the girls were sitting. Once they moved, he wished them a good day and sat in the comfortable swivel chair in their stead.

The three women said their goodbyes as they left the clinic, Reiko and Ranko holding hands.

* * *

.

* * *

A short time later, Ranko and Reiko were swinging on a swing set while the elder Kimura sat nearby on a park bench engrossed in a book. The girls learned quite a bit about one another and the seeds of a wonderful new relationship were planted. They were sisters yes, but more importantly they were quickly becoming friends as well. Each of them found something in the other they'd always wanted and been missing their entire life.

For Ranko it was having someone to care about and be a role model for. She had never dreamed she'd ever have a sibling and after ten hellish years of being yelled at for every little thing by her overbearing father, it was nice to have someone who cared about her for her and not what they wanted from her.

Reiko had always wanted a sister, someone she could confide in who wasn't her mother. She loved her mother dearly, but there were just certain things she'd rather talk to an older sister about than an adult. Somehow, against all odds, her wish had come true and now she had an older sister in her life. Sure, it wasn't official or anything, but she didn't care about that. She knew deep within her heart Ranko was her older sister and that was all that mattered.

As the girls continued to swing, Ranko talked about her childhood and lamented how she'd never really had any friends growing up nor was she allowed to pursue anything but martial arts. She refrained from mentioning anything about the NekoKen and having been a boy for most of her life, figuring there was no sense in frightening the poor girl. She knew she'd have to tell her the truth eventually, but it was too soon for that kind of disclosure when they barely knew one another. She wanted her sister to know her as her true self, not what she'd been forced to endure for far too long.

Reiko talked about life in Nerima, school and her interests. She noticed her twin had become melancholy when she talked about growing up with a loving mother, father and two older brothers. When she mentioned she liked music, dance, ice skating and gymnastics, Ranko's eyes lit up and said she had similar interests and was eager to share them with her new sister.

"Ranko-neechan, do you think you could teach me martial arts?" Reiko asked finally as she looked at the older girl with a hopeful expression on her face.

Ranko considered her sister's question for a few moments and smiled as she said, "I would love to imouto. Even though I pray you'll be lucky enough to never need it, I would feel better knowing my little sis could defend herself."

"Thanks, Oneechan!"

"I don't know when I'll be able to start training you though," the elder redhead said thoughtfully as she continued to swing. Between school during the week, Reiko's gymnastics practice Tuesdays and Thursdays and her working for Doctor Tofu a few hours everyday after school, there didn't seem to be much time except maybe weekends. She didn't think one day a week would be enough and wondered if perhaps Reiko could come over Wednesday nights as well.

"Do you think you could come over after school? I have to work but it would be really nice to see you during the week," Ranko said as she considered what she might be able to teach the girl despite running the front desk, answering phones and taking care of anything that came up.

"Maybe, I'll ask Mom later," Reiko replied as she flashed her sister a brilliant smile. "I'm sure she'll agree though, she wants us to get to know one another and become close just as we do."

Ranko was looking around the park when she spotted two girls around Reiko's age skipping down the sidewalk. She couldn't help but smile at the scene and recalled instances in her youth when she had done the same. Suffice it to say, her father hadn't been very happy when he caught her 'behaving like a girl' and started harping on her even more to act like a man. Come to think of it, hadn't that been just after meeting Ukyo?

Reiko followed her sister's gaze and noticed the same two girls skipping down the sidewalk. Was her sister trying to recapture her nearly non-existent childhood? She couldn't imagine spending ten years on the road with just her father and asked, "Oneechan, would you like to skip for awhile?"

The teenager turned towards her younger sister and nodded as her smile widened into a more child-like grin.

Once the girls had slowed their swings enough to hop off without getting their clothes dirty, Reiko took her sister's hand in her own and they started skipping around the park. At first, she figured the teenager would be too embarrassed to do what most considered a 'pre-teen girly' activity, but she also knew her sister hadn't had much of a childhood. In fact, the girl had had to grow up far beyond her years much too quickly and she was glad she could help her recapture some of her lost youth.

For the next half hour, Nikki couldn't help but smile as she surreptitiously watched the girls interact with each other and knew she had made the right decision introducing them to one another. Ranko had seemed so heartbroken not twenty-four hours earlier and now the girl was laughing, smiling and carrying on like she didn't have a care in the world. She knew Reiko was incredibly happy to have an older sister and even though the girls were seven years apart and had grown up completely differently, they were more alike than not. They both possessed an innocent child-like joy and their eyes danced when they were happy.

The elder Kimura looked at her watch and called, "Girls, we should be going before it gets too late."

"Okay Mom."

"Yes Kimura-sensei."

"Alright Ranko-chan, that's one thing we're going to have to change if you're going to be my daughter's big sister," Nikki replied with an impish smile as she wrapped an arm around the smaller girl's shoulders.

"Ma'am?" Ranko asked nervously as she looked up at the taller woman. Why was it that everyone she met was taller than her? Well, everyone except a certain eight-year-old and even then, Reiko wasn't that much shorter than her.

"Now now, none of that either," Nikki admonished gently as she shook her head. "If it's alright with you, I would prefer Auntie."

Ranko's face broke into a huge smile as she said, "I'd like that Auntie, thank you."

"Now then, what's everyone hungry for?" Nikki asked cheerfully as the three of them started walking towards the Nerima commercial district.

* * *

.

* * *

Several hours later, Ranko, Reiko and Nikki arrived at the Kimura family home after spending nearly the entire afternoon together in Nerima's commercial district. While the three of them were out and about, they had eaten lunch at a small outdoor eatery before indulging in some ice cream. While they were window shopping, Ranko remembered she needed to pick up some school supplies along with the uniforms she would need for regular classes and gym. She wasn't particularly thrilled with the red bloomers and yellow t-shirt that made up the gym uniform and thought the teal jumper style dress was ugly. Oh well, she was there to learn, not make a fashion statement.

Like Nodoka's home, the Kimura property was surrounded by a decorative white wall barely three feet high. A simple white wooden gate allowed entry into a small courtyard where flowers of all types lined the brick walkway leading to an ornate wooden front door. Ranko admired the decorations and smiled, the two-story house may not have been large, but it certainly looked well cared for.

"Welcome to our home Ranko-chan," Nikki said with a warm smile as she pulled a key out from her purse and unlocked the front door. "Reiko-chan, I need to get dinner started so why don't you show your sister around?"

"Okay Mom. Come on Oneechan," Reiko said enthusiastically as she grabbed her sister's hand and pulled the taller girl into the house. Once they had exchanged their street shoes for slippers and Ranko set down her shopping bags, the younger redhead proceeded to give her sister the full tour.

* * *

The first stop was a relatively small but comfortable looking room with a large mahogany desk, two dark brown leather chairs and a book shelf on the opposite wall while dark wooden paneling covered the other walls from the floor to the ceiling. A bearskin rug lay on the floor in the middle of the room and Ranko had a brief flash of her father's hide lying on someone's floor. She couldn't help but giggle at the image and when her sister looked at her she just shook her head and said it was nothing.

Reiko shrugged and said, "This is the office where my father spends a lot of his time when he's home working on one thing or another. He really doesn't like to be disturbed when he's in here, so I try to leave him alone. Kenji and Jiro, on the other hand, seem to delight in annoying him for some weird reason."

Kenji was Reiko's sixteen-year-old eldest brother and a pitcher for Furinkan High's varsity baseball team. His looks were average at best and he seemed quite enamored with a girl dubbed 'the fierce tigress'. He frequently came home with bruises that weren't likely to be caused from playing baseball. When asked, he would just say he got into a scuffle with some of the other boys and that would be the end of it.

Jiro was Reiko's thirteen-year-old brother and as geeky as they come, including the bad acne. He wasn't any better looking than his older brother and for some his glasses were a huge turn off as well. He spent most of his time with his nose in a book where he could pretend to be the hero and forget his real-world problems for a while. It also gave him a chance to have a fake girlfriend since no real girl ever gave him the time of day. He too would frequently come home with bruises but those were usually caused by bullies at his Junior High school.

While Reiko didn't have much sympathy for the star athlete of the family, she did what she could to comfort her nerdy brother. She knew it wasn't easy going through life stuck in someone else's shadow knowing deep down he would never measure up. It was fortunate their father, Ichiro, wasn't the type to play favorites with his children and loved them all equally. Perhaps just as important, she knew he believed all his children, adopted or not, were special in their own way and would eventually become successful members of society.

* * *

The next stop in their tour led them to the dinning room where the dark wood paneling once again dominated the walls. Situated in the middle of the room was a large mahogany western style table along with six high backed chairs. Ranko raised an eyebrow at that, having long gotten used to sitting on the ground or floor. A dark red runner stretched from one end of the table to the other and housed a beautiful crystal vase with a bouquet of pink, red and white roses. In addition to the flowery centerpiece, two red candles housed in crystal candle holders were positioned equidistant from the center. To top off the atmosphere, there was a twelve-light chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Daddy likes Western decor," Reiko answered the unasked question when she noticed the look on her sister's face.

"Why, he's Japanese isn't he?" Ranko asked as they walked down the hall towards family room.

"Of course, but just because he's Japanese doesn't mean he likes sitting on the floor or a pillow," Reiko retorted as she rolled her eyes at her sister's question before grabbing the older girl's hand again and leading her on the next part of their tour.

* * *

The girls walked into the family room and noticed two males sitting on the couch eating snacks and watching a baseball game. It was no surprise to find the eldest brother and father spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon watching the sports channel. Like the previous rooms, the walls were lined with dark wooden paneling that seemed to absorb some of the harsh sunlight that filtered through the drawn blinds. In front of the plush and dark brown couch was a mahogany coffee table with a few magazines and snacks scattered on top. The other side of the room looked more like a library, complete with bookshelves containing well over a hundred books and two overstuffed chairs arranged in a reading nook.

"This is the family room slash library and you can usually find one of my brothers and occasionally my father wasting away in front of the television," Reiko whispered before turning to walk back down the hallway towards the stairs leading to the second floor. Pointing further down the hallway she continued, "At the end of the hall are the laundry room, downstairs bathroom and furoba."

* * *

Once they were upstairs, Reiko didn't bother showing her sister each individual room and instead explained that two of the doors led to her brothers' rooms, one was an upstairs bathroom while the set of double doors at the end of the hall were for the master bedroom. She opened the door to her room and stepped aside, allowing the older girl to walk in first.

Ranko walked into the room and smiled at the decor. There was no mistaking the room for anything but a girl's room with its soft yellow walls, white lacy curtains and a bedspread with a beautiful flower motif. She walked over to the bed and sat as she said, "This is a really nice room Reiko-chan. While the wooden paneling downstairs is nice, I think the soft yellow walls and lacy curtains make the room feel a lot warmer and more comfortable."

"Thanks, I like it better this way too," Reiko replied with a smile as she closed the door before joining her sister on the bed. "To be honest, I don't really like the dark theme the downstairs rooms seem to favor but it's what Daddy likes so it's what we have. I guess he thinks the wooden paneling is more impressive or something. Clients never come upstairs so we're allowed to do whatever we want with our rooms."

"I see."

"Yeah, Daddy's an executive at some insurance firm and you already know what Mom does," the youngest Kimura said. "I know it's not any of my business, but have you talked with her about what your father put you through yet?"

Ranko raised an eyebrow at her sister and asked teasingly, "If you know it's not any of your business imouto, why are you asking?"

"Because I'm nosy and I really want to help?" Reiko countered playfully as she flashed her twin a super sugary smile.

The Saotome girl started giggling and shook her head as she said, "It's fine; I'll forgive you this time but to answer your question, not really. I didn't get much of a chance to talk with her last night at Tofu-sensei's and we've been pretty busy today. I would like to talk with her before I start school on Wednesday though, so perhaps after dinner or sometime tomorrow."

"Mom's awesome, you can talk to her about literally anything," the younger redhead said as she took her sister's hands in her own. "Take me for instance. While I know I can go to her for anything, she also knows how much I've always wanted an older sister. Someone I could talk to about things I wouldn't necessarily feel comfortable coming to her about."

"I'm not sure how much help I'll be there Reiko-chan," Ranko said quietly as she gently squeezed her sister's hands. "You see, my father wanted a son. It didn't matter what I was or what I wanted, he raised me as a boy and kept me isolated from the other girls. As a result, I never learned what most girls learn by the time they reach your age, let alone mine. Because I've never spent much time around them, especially in more intimate settings like the bath, I get incredibly embarrassed and self conscious around other naked girls. I can't even share a bath with others like normal people; it's just too uncomfortable for me."

"I'm so sorry Oneechan," Reiko said as she pulled her sister into a comforting embrace. Her heart broke every time the older girl talked about her so-called childhood and wondered what more she could do to help. The first step seemed obvious: get the girl away from her abusive parents and from what she understood that had been accomplished. She didn't know what had happened between Ranko and her mother but whatever it was it was bad. The older girl hadn't said anything about what had happened to her father, but she pretty much assumed he was out of the picture as well. The next step was to give the girl a chance for a normal life which included going to school and making friends.

Reiko knew she was already a huge help simply because she was family that cared about her. Ranko had already told her how she felt betrayed and abandoned by her parents, how she'd only come back to Japan to see if she had any family who cared about her. Despite knowing how much she was helping, she wanted to do more.

"I can teach you all about girls, at least my age group anyway," the younger redhead said as she leaned back and smiled. "I'm afraid I won't be much help when it comes to teenager stuff though."

"Thank you Reiko-chan."

"Hey, that's what sisters are for," Reiko replied cheerfully with a huge sunny smile on her face.

* * *

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* * *

A half an hour later, Ranko and the Kimura family were seated around the dining room table. Ordinarily, the family organized themselves so the grey haired and slightly overweight patriarch, Ichiro, sat at the head of the table. The Kimura sons, Kenji and Jiro, sat to their father's left while his wife and adoptive daughter sat to his right. With Ranko joining them, Nikki decided she would sit opposite her husband at the foot of the table. Reiko then took her mother's place next to her father while her sister took hers, figuring the teenager wouldn't feel comfortable sitting beside a man she had never met.

"Itadakimasu."

Dinner was uneventful for the most part, with light conversation primarily between the girls and Reiko's mother. Nikki knew Ranko's childhood was a sore subject and decided to steer clear of anything relating to the redhead's martial arts training trip with her father. She knew she would need to sit down with her and see what she could do to help. While she didn't know the details, she could see the pain in the girl's eyes when anything relating to that time of her life was brought up.

Instead, they discussed what they'd done that day and their plans for the upcoming week. Reiko pestered her mother into taking her to Tofu's after school so she could spend time with her sister. At Ranko's enthusiastic nod, Nikki relented while secretly agreeing with the pair of redheads. The girls needed a chance to bond which would be difficult if they only saw each other once a week. Reiko then asked her parents if her sister could spend the night.

"I don't see why that would be a problem," Nikki replied with a warm smile.

"Of course," Ichiro said neutrally, wanting more time to observe the girl before making up his mind about her. So far, the redhead seemed like a very friendly and caring girl, but he was certain she was hiding something. His work in the insurance business made him wary by nature, having encountered every type of fraud there was over the course of his career.

"If it's not too much trouble, I would like to return to the clinic for a few minutes, so I can drop off my school supplies and let Tofu-sensei know I won't be returning until sometime tomorrow," Ranko said and the Kimura elders nodded in agreement.

"That'll be fine, we can go after dinner," Nikki said before returning to her meal.

'_Alright, Ranko's going to be staying here tonight. Maybe I can ask her out tomorrow,_' Kenji mused as he continued to mentally drool over the girl's stunning figure. He hadn't really been following the conversation since he had been too busy fantasizing about the beautiful redhead to pay attention. In fact, maybe it was time to stop pursuing the Tendo girl seeing as Ranko was cuter and hadn't punched him yet. The only thing potentially unsettling was her striking resemblance to his adoptive younger sister. Still, his teenaged body didn't seem to care about that detail.

'_Ranko's staying here this weekend?_' Jiro thought in panic as he broke out in a cold sweat. A cute teenaged girl was going to be sleeping in the room adjacent to his? They were going to be sharing the same bathroom? What if she wanted to see his room, what would she think of the posters he had on the wall?

Ranko glanced at the boys with a peculiar expression on her face as she sensed two diametrically opposed emotions. She still didn't understand why she was capable of sensing other people's emotions, but it's something that had been happening sporadically since Jusenkyo. Why was the younger boy nervous? The older one, Kenji, was broadcasting something she was familiar with and she tried to ignore the lustful stare he was giving her. She shivered violently and tried to focus on the love she felt from Nikki and Reiko instead.

"What's wrong Oneechan?" Reiko asked in concern when she noticed her sister shiver.

"I'll be fine Reiko-chan," Ranko replied with a soft smile before turning her icy glare on the older Kimura boy. Narrowing her eyes, she mentally growled, [_I know what you're thinking about you pervert._]

Kenji squeaked in fear, his eyes widening in shock as he fell out of his chair when he heard Ranko's deathly cold voice within his mind. He stared at the older redhead in terror from his undignified position on the floor and gulped nervously, the dark glare he saw on her face more than enough for him to completely lose control of his bladder.

"Kenji! What happened?" Ichiro, Nikki and Jiro asked in confusion while Reiko studied her older sister. She wasn't certain, but she wondered if Ranko had somehow caused her oldest brother to fall out of his chair despite the shocked look on the girl's face. The youngest Kimura didn't know how the older girl could've done it; she'd never heard of anyone knocking someone over without touching them. Real life wasn't like a Star Wars movie, where people could throw someone around the room simply by waving their hand. As she continued to watch the scene unfold, she frowned when she noticed the look on her sister's face slowly change to that of a self-satisfied smirk.

'_What was that all about?_' Ranko wondered as she watched her sister's parents and younger brother rush to the older teenager's aid. As far as she knew, all she'd done was glare at the older boy for the perverted thoughts he was obviously having about her. She didn't think she was all that intimidating honestly, not even five feet in stature and looking more like a porcelain doll than any kind of threat. Maybe it was because she was a girl. In her experience, guys seemed to be more frightened of an angry girl and fell over themselves in self-preservation than the opposite. Good examples of the phenomenon were Mousse with Shampoo and her father with either herself or her mother.

Once the adults had helped him to his feet, Kenji glanced down at his urine stained pants and blushed in embarrassment before hastily excusing himself to change. Jiro couldn't help himself and burst out laughing at his elder brother's latest misfortune. The twin red-haired girls simply scrunched up their faces and wrinkled their noses in disgust.

Ichiro turned towards their guest and crossed his arms over his chest as he demanded, "Saotome-san, what did you do to my son?"

"Besides glare at him for the lecherous way he was staring at me? Nothing that I know of," Ranko replied evenly as she looked at the older man in irritation and folded her hands in her lap. The last thing she wanted was to be thrown out of the house and lose contact with her sister. At the same time, she wasn't about to let the man blame her when it was clearly his son's fault.

"Ichiro dearest, you mustn't blame Ranko for what happened," Nikki interjected softly as she shot her husband a hard look. "She is our guest and if he was making her uncomfortable, she had every right to call him out for his behavior. We raised him better than that, but maybe we need to give him a refresher course about objectifying women."

"I'm sorry Kimura-san, I didn't mean to cause a problem," Ranko said softly as she lowered her eyes.

"Nonsense dear," Nikki countered warmly as she walked up to her adoptive daughter's older sister and gently pulled the smaller girl into a hug. "Kenji needs to learn how to behave appropriately while in mixed company and that his actions have consequences. Not every girl will simply glare at him like you did. The next one may very well break his nose."

* * *

.

* * *

**_Author's Notes: _**

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it._

_Publish Date: February 12__th__, 2020_


	5. Welcome to Furinkan

Disclaimer:

Sadly, I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima, or the colorful characters Rumiko Takahashi created for us. I have been planning a transgender story for awhile now and have finally decided to try it. Unlike other stories using this same premise, this will not be a simple retelling of the manga. There will be canon events; however, they are not the focus of this story. There will be a number of plots and sub-plots that play out as Ranma discovers who and what she really is as opposed to what she had been led to believe growing up. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language#, *panda signs*, "spoken", '_thoughts_', [_telepathic messages_]

.

**The Butterfly Effect**

Chapter Four

_Welcome to Furinkan_

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**(Wednesday, May 6****th****, 1992, Early Morning)**

Ranko sang happily as she skipped along one of the many drainage canals towards Furinkan High, her mid-back length unbound hair bouncing playfully in the light breeze. Despite her outward carefree appearance, her internal thoughts and feelings were quite turbulent as she continued to struggle with the recent changes in her life.

The only reason she had returned to Nerima was to find out about her mother and whether she had any family. While the woman's rejection still hurt, discovering she had a younger sister was exactly what she'd needed to begin mending her shattered heart. It helped the younger girl's adoptive mother, Nikki Kimura, was a godsend surrogate mother for her as well. As if all of that weren't enough, she was going through her very first period too.

She had woken early Monday morning drenched in blood. After screaming bloody murder for nearly five minutes, Nikki had taken control of the situation and helped her understand what was happening with her body. Once she was cleaned up and dressed, the two of them spent the next several hours in the master bedroom conducting an intensive therapy session. She completely fell apart and cried for most of the session as she talked about her childhood. How she had been taken from her mother at a young age and forced on a decade long training trip when she'd never wanted to be a martial artist in the first place. She had talked about how both her parents expected her to be a 'man amongst men' regardless of her gender and her feelings of betrayal over the seppuku contract. Nikki was nearly apoplectic with rage and had promised she would do her best to protect her from her parents.

Ranko walked through the front gates and paused with a smile on her face as she looked around. The three-story building looked similar to the all boys' junior high school she had attended before leaving for China eight months earlier. At the time, she had been upset being forced to leave even though it hadn't been a comfortable environment.

Now that she was free to be her true self, she was looking forward to attending school again and having a chance to live the life she should've always had. From what she could tell, Furinkan was co-ed and while that meant she'd have to deal with boys again, at least there would be girls as well. Maybe she could even find a girlfriend at school. As she continued towards the administration office, she noticed more than a few trees dotting the landscape and thought it might be nice to eat lunch outside when the weather was nice.

* * *

Once inside the office, Ranko looked around for a few moments before spotting an attractive brown-haired woman fervently working on a computer. She didn't want to interrupt but wasn't sure what else to do. Tentatively, she approached the slightly older woman and asked, "Excuse me ma'am?"

The secretary paused in her typing and looked up with a relieved smile on her pretty face. "May I help you Miss?"

"I hope so. My name is Ranko Saotome and I was wondering if I could register for classes this morning," the redhead said with a cheerful smile on her face.

"While it's a bit unusual since term started nearly a month ago, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll take you to Morishina-sensei, our registrar," the woman said pleasantly, smoothing out her white blouse and black pencil skirt as she stood. She gestured for her companion to follow and the two of them walked deeper into the office.

The taller brown-haired woman knocked quietly on a door and said, "Morishina-sensei? I have a prospective student named Ranko Saotome who would like to speak with you."

The door opened to reveal a moderately tall grey-haired woman wearing a very classy but comfortable looking black suit and skirt. "Thank you, Korisha-san. I'll take it from here."

The young secretary bowed and flashed Ranko a smile before heading back to her desk and the seemingly endless pile of paperwork waiting for her.

"Now then, let me have your transfer papers and I'll see what I can do for you," the older woman said in a no-nonsense tone as she adjusted her glasses before turning towards a computer screen. She typed 'Ranko Saotome' in the search engine and frowned when no records were found.

"Ma'am?" the redhead asked hesitantly as she sat in the chair provided.

"Transfer papers, records from the last school you attended?" Morishina-sensei prompted in a slightly irritated tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sensei, but I don't have anything like that. I have letters from Tofu-sensei and Kimura-sensei if they'll help," Ranko said nervously as she reached into her satchel and withdrew two folded pieces of paper.

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_To Whom It May Concern:_

_My name is Doctor Tofu Ono and I am a local general practitioner/chiropractor. My purpose in writing this letter is that I wish to sponsor Ranko Saotome, a fifteen-year old girl in need of assistance. Due to her father's negligence and single-minded obsession with martial arts, she has been on the road for most of her life. This means her school records will be spotty at best, provided they exist at all. I realize this is an unusual situation but in the time that I've known her, Ranko has proven herself to be a very bright and dedicated person. When she sets her mind on something, she accomplishes it. She knows she is behind, not just this year but in her general studies as well. All she wants is a chance and I'm confident she will excel given the opportunity._

_I have given Ranko the necessary inoculations and will be mailing a copy to your office for your records. Regrettably, I could do nothing concerning her missing school and birth records._

_Sincerely, _

_Tofu __Ono__, __MD_

_._

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_My name is Doctor Nikki Kimura and I am a licensed Psychologist currently in private practice. My purpose in writing this letter is that I wish to sponsor Ranko Saotome, a fifteen-year-old girl in need of assistance. Due to her father's negligence and single-minded obsession with martial arts, she has been on the road for most of her life and her school records will be spotty at best, assuming they exist at all. I realize this is an unusual situation but Ranko has proven herself to be a very bright, caring and devoted individual. When she sets her mind on something, she accomplishes it. She knows she is behind, not just this year but in her general studies as well. All she wants is a chance and I am confident she will excel if given the opportunity._

_I have given Ranko a complete psychological review and despite her upbringing, I have found that while some of her quirks may be unusual, I don't foresee her being a danger to herself or others. From what I've been able to tell she's a good person, if a little shy, and just wants a chance to make a future for herself. She realizes she needs an education to accomplish that._

_Should she be accepted, my husband and I will gladly pay her tuition costs. If you would please send us the bill, we would appreciate it._

_Sincerely,_

_Nikki Kimura, PhD_

_._

The older woman read the letters silently before leaning back in her chair and rubbing her tired eyes with one hand. With a heavy sigh, she looked at girl in front of her and said, "Alright Saotome-san, I want you to understand something very clearly. Ordinarily, you would not be permitted to start school without some record of previous schooling and a birth record. It's only because you have recommendations from two highly respected and local health professionals as well as your inoculations that I'm even considering this at all. I'm curious though, why don't you have any school records?"

Ranko nodded in understanding and clasped her hands in her lap as she explained, "My father started dragging me around Japan for a decade long martial arts training trip before I was even five years old. Occasionally, we were able to stay at a dojo or shrine but most of the time we lived in the wilderness. He didn't believe in education, said I wouldn't need it and everything but the Art was worthless. I never really believed him but it's not like I could sneak off to school or anything. I did manage to learn non-martial arts related things though from the dojo masters and monks we stayed with, but I always had to keep it secret. I know I have a lot of material I need to learn to catch up, but if you'll allow me to attend, I promise to do the best I can."

"Very well, let's see what we can do about your registration," Morishina-sensei said as she began filling out a new student record. "Name: Ranko Saotome, Sex: Female, Date of Birth... Saotome-san, what is your date of birth?"

"April 4th, 1977 ma'am," Ranko replied, hoping she would be allowed to attend high school despite having only recently turned fifteen.

"Hmm, that means you won't turn sixteen until next year," the administrator said thoughtfully as she pondered the girl's dilemma. "Most first years are sixteen or will be sometime during the school year. It's unusual for someone to skip a grade, especially if they don't have prior schooling. That said, Tofu-sensei and Kimura-sensei seem to think very highly of you and believe you're capable of handling it."

"Thank you, Sensei," the redhead gushed happily as she flashed the older woman a brilliant smile.

"You're welcome," Morishina-sensei said with a smile. "Now then, Grade Level: 10, Class: 1-F, Address..."

"Oh, I'm currently living with Tofu-sensei and working as his receptionist," Ranko replied at the older woman's prompting.

"Very well, if you'll follow me I'll give you a welcome packet and a copy of your schedule," the older woman said once she had finished entering the redhead's personal information. After leading Ranko to the printer room, the grey-haired woman continued, "I'm glad you've already gotten your uniform and school supplies. It speaks highly of you that you've come prepared for your first day of class, unlike _some_ transfer students."

"Thank you, Sensei," Ranko replied.

"Welcome to Furinkan High Saotome-san," Morishina-sensei said warmly as she handed the smaller girl a welcome packet and a slip of paper.

Ranko bowed politely as she took the offered items and left the office.

* * *

Once outside, Ranko examined the slip of paper Morishina-sensei had given her and familiarized herself with her schedule as she walked towards the stairwell. She knew from experience her grade would be on the top floor, just as she'd been on the bottom when she was a 'senior' in Junior High the previous year. After reaching the third floor, she walked down the hallway and looked for her homeroom: 1-F.

Upon finding her homeroom, she turned to look down at the front courtyard. Unsurprisingly, the number of students milling about below had increased substantially. She found it odd so many boys were out of uniform and carrying sports gear. She figured the equipment would remain in a storage shed until gym class. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted a certain brown-haired Kimura boy holding a baseball bat standing beside some other boys. Of course, she knew Kenji attended Furinkan but that knowledge hadn't prepared her to see him. She just hoped the pervert wasn't in her class.

'_Why is everyone nervous? Are mid-terms today?_' Ranko wondered as she tried to pinpoint where the nervous energy was coming from. Looking around and observing everyone's facial expressions, she realized it was only the boys holding the sports equipment that were anxious. Everyone else was carrying on as though it were just another Wednesday.

Several minutes passed and she noticed the boys had become increasingly agitated and intent on something outside the front gates. She didn't know what to make of the bizarre spectacle, but suspected she would find out soon enough. She followed the boys' eyes and looked down the road but couldn't see anything that would hold their interest or make them nervous.

Her thoughts were interrupted when two girls walked up behind her and chorused cheerfully, "Hi!"

Ranko started in surprise and whirled around only to see two girls standing in front of her with smiles on their faces. Both were taller than her, no surprise there. The one on the left had long unbound brown hair while the other had shorter chestnut colored hair done up in a ponytail tied off with a red ribbon.

"My name is Sayuri Moriega and this is Yuka Hagisaki," the dark-haired girl said. "We are Class 1-F's official welcoming committee and we just wanted to say, welcome to Furinkan!"

"Thank you, my name is Ranko Saotome..." the redhead said only to trail off at the look of surprise on the other girls' faces.

"Yuka-chan, didn't Akane say something about a Ranma Saotome who was supposed to arrive at her house over the weekend?"

"Yeah," Yuka replied as she turned towards the new girl only to see a look of shock on her face. "Ranko-chan, do you have a brother named Ranma? Our friend Akane Tendo said a boy named Ranma and his father, Genma I believe, were supposed to move in with them over the weekend for a betrothal agreement between your two families."

"Oh Gods, I still can't believe her father thought _that_ was a good idea. Akane was so mad when she heard about that," Sayuri interjected before Ranko could say anything.

"You could say that," the redhead answered softly. '_Seriously Pop, an arranged marriage? Are you nuts?_'

"Is he half as cute as you?" Sayuri asked teasingly as she winked at the shorter girl.

"Yuri-chan!" Yuka hissed in a scandalous tone as Ranko's eyes widened in shock and her cheeks turned bright red.

"What?" the chestnut-haired girl asked innocently as she gave the redhead a little smile.

"You shouldn't tease the new girl like that, honestly!" the brunette admonished in an exasperated tone as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Sayuri looked suitably chastised and bowed before saying, "My apologies Ranko-chan, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's… It's okay," Ranko stammered uncertainly as she turned to look down at the courtyard, hoping her blush would fade. That's when she felt a surge of anger and noticed a cute raven-haired girl plowing through the gathered mob of boys she'd seen earlier. Pointing towards the battle happening below, she asked in a steely tone, "Yuka-chan, Sayuri-chan, is _that_ normal?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Yuka replied as she shook her head in disgust. "That's our friend Akane and since the second week of school she's had to beat up most of the jocks because some idiot upperclassmen with a superiority complex said and I quote, 'If you wish to date with Akane Tendo, you must first defeat her in combat. I, Tatewaki Kuno, will permit no other terms.'"

"Disgusting," the redhead scowled as she glared at the kendoist she had noticed standing behind the tree earlier and figured the megalomaniac wouldn't actually partake in the melee until his grunts had tired the girl out. Despite her normal female body, she was tempted to rush downstairs and pound the jerk herself but stopped when she realized this had been going on for weeks. Watching the girl intently, it was obvious Akane could handle herself and it would be disrespectful if she interfered with someone else's fight without permission.

"Ranko-chan, would you be interested in joining SAP, the Sisterhood Against Perverts?" Sayuri asked after tapping the smaller girl on the shoulder and getting her attention. "We meet Mondays during lunch and it's basically a group of girls who've sworn to never date any of the losers involved in that mess down there. I don't care how tough Akane is, no one deserves that."

"Count me in," Ranko growled as the mana flowing within her began surging angrily. A small fiery aura manifested around her body, causing the other girls to step back in surprise and squeak in fear. Slamming her eyes shut, the redhead desperately tried to control her rising anger since she didn't want to frighten her new friends. She could see herself being upset over what was happening below but where was the raw anger and hatred coming from? Akane! It had to be! Before the other girl had arrived, she'd been sensing a growing anxiety among the boys who were psyching themselves up for the battle ahead but now everything had changed. She still didn't understand why she could sense other people's emotions, but since Jusenkyo she found she could without even trying. Now, if she could learn to block them out…

"Good," Sayuri replied with a nervous smile as she presented her new friend with a small metal pin that looked like a cherry blossom. That's when the redhead noticed the girls were wearing identical pins on their uniform collar like military insignia.

Ranko smiled as she allowed the other girl to pin the cherry blossom on her collar and said pleasantly, "Thank you Sayuri-chan, Yuka-chan, for helping me feel like I belong."

"Welcome to the Sisterhood," the girls chorused before turning to watch Akane fight Kuno with concerned expressions on their faces. They knew their friend was good and had yet to lose but it would only take one time.

"Oh, I need to talk to Sensei before class so I'll see you two later," Ranko said as she turned to walk inside their classroom. She could sense the girls' concern for their friend and wasn't surprised when they didn't respond. Even though she didn't know Akane, she was worried about the girl as well. She suspected the raven haired Tendo had a hair trigger temper and a problem with anger but considering the fact she'd been assaulted every morning before school by a mob of slobbering dogs it was hardly surprising.

* * *

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* * *

Ten minutes later, Akane trudged into the classroom and flopped in her seat with a huff. Some part of her absently noted a cute red-haired girl she'd never seen before standing beside the teacher with her hands clasped demurely in front of her.

"Psst, Akane-chan," Sayuri hissed quietly from her seat in front of her friend. "Remember how you told us a boy named Ranma Saotome was supposed to come to your house last weekend?"

"Yeah..." Akane growled quietly, still annoyed with her father for trying to force her or one of her sisters into an arranged marriage with a stranger. When the boy and his father hadn't shown, she'd been so relieved the rest of her weekend had become one of the best she'd had since before school started.

"Well, that's his sister Ranko," the dark-haired girl said with a smirk and started giggling when her friend's jaw dropped in shock.

"W-What? Daddy never said anything about a daughter. He just said Ranma and his father were coming…"

"I don't know Akane-chan, I'm just telling you what she told us," Sayuri replied softly, shrugging her shoulders as she kept an eye on their teacher who looked about ready to begin class. "Yuka and I talked with her for a bit before class and invited her to join SAP. She was livid when we told her about the Horde and Kuno's proclamation at the beginning of the year. I think you'll really like her and we should invite her to join us for lunch."

'_Ranko…,_' Akane thought wistfully as she stared at the beautiful redhead standing at the front of the classroom. '_Alright, so my wish didn't exactly come true the way I hoped it would but still, a female martial artist, like me... Finally, someone who will understand..._'

"Class, we have a new student joining us today," Taruka-sensei said as he looked around his classroom and noted everyone was in their seats. "Her name is Ranko Saotome. Why don't you tell us a little something about yourself?"

"Yes Sensei," Ranko replied cheerfully as she looked around her new homeroom. "As Taruka-sensei said, my name is Ranko Saotome and I've recently returned to Japan from a decade long martial arts training trip. For the last eight months or so I've been wandering around China which was quite interesting. I was tempted to stay with some acquaintances I had made, but ultimately decided to return home because I hadn't seen my mother for years and wanted to reconnect with her."

"Thank you Saotome-san, now where to put you..."

Almost immediately every male hand shot in the air and Ranko grimaced at the thought of sitting beside a bunch of horny boys. She looked at Yuka, Sayuri and Akane and pleaded with her eyes to let her sit by them. The other girls smiled and nodded. Ranko smiled in thanks before turning towards her teacher and asked, "Sensei, may I please sit over there?"

Taruka-sensei looked where the redhead was pointing and nodded, much to the boys' disappointment.

Ranko hurried to her seat and sat behind Sayuri. Akane was to her left while Yuka was to her left and in front of her, the four of them creating a perfect square.

As the teacher returned to his desk, Akane leaned over and whispered, "Hi Ranko-chan, it's nice to meet you. My name is Akane Tendo, but I suspect you already knew that."

"Hello Akane-chan, it's a pleasure to meet you," Ranko whispered as she pulled out a notebook and pencil. "As for knowing your name, your friends were kind enough to tell me before class."

"I figured. We'll talk later," Akane whispered before opening her own bag and pulling out what she would need for lecture.

"Ladies, while I understand it can be exciting to meet a new classmate, I do have a lesson to teach today," Taruka-sensei admonished gently and chuckled when the girls blushed. "Now then, who can tell me where we left off Friday?"

* * *

.

* * *

The morning passed without incident for the most part. During her early classes, several dozen notes had managed to find their way onto Ranko's desk. Initially she had read them only to scowl in disgust before shooting the sender an icy glare as she crumpled the note into a ball, almost wishing her hand would burst into flames to really drive the point home. Despite having been told she was a sorceress by Cologne a month prior and trying everything she could think of, she still couldn't access her powers at will. She'd had more than a few instances of accidental magic, mostly when she was angry or frightened, but it was frustrating she couldn't use her magic when she wanted to.

The noon bell finally rang, signaling the end of Japanese History and meant it was time for lunch. Ranko, Akane, Yuka and Sayuri quickly gathered their belongings and left the classroom before heading downstairs. The quartet walked a bit from the front courtyard and sat beneath a large tree where they hoped to socialize and eat lunch in peace.

"Argh! Will those stupid perverts ever leave me alone?" Ranko yelled in frustration as she flopped onto the ground and pulled out the bento she had made that morning.

The other girls started giggling before Akane shook her head and said gently, "It's just something you'll have to get used to Ranko-chan. You're the foxy new redhead everyone's curious about. You're right about them being perverts though, all the boys here are."

"Now Akane-chan that's not fair," Yuka admonished quietly. "Kuno and the Horde for sure but there are plenty of boys who were never part of that mess and aren't too bad."

"What, you mean the 'Perverted Duo' Hiroshi and Daisuke?" Akane asked as she regarded her friend with a raised eyebrow. "Those two are the worst! You should see the kind of manga they bring to school when they think no one's looking."

"Hey, I happened to think Hiroshi is kind of cute," Sayuri interjected somewhat heatedly as she glared at her friend.

"Doesn't make him less of a pervert," the Tendo girl muttered darkly.

Ranko couldn't help herself and started giggling at the argument even though she had no idea who the boys in question were. Of course, considering the lecherous feelings she'd sensed all morning she was inclined to agree. She had also sensed a fair amount of jealousy but couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was coming from or what it was about.

"See, Ranko understands," Akane teased as she gave her new friend a heartwarming smile that instantly melted the smaller girl's insides. Ranko felt her breath catch in her throat as a strange fluttering sensation settled within her stomach that had nothing to do with her monthly visitor. She felt her heart thunder within her chest like a jackhammer and knew _something_ had just passed between them. She looked away as a faint blush spread across her face.

'_Kami-sama she's beautiful, and that smile..._' Ranko thought as she struggled to control her body's lustful reactions. She couldn't afford to out herself the very first day and they hadn't even had gym yet. What was she going to do when the other girls started stripping in front of her, or worse, showering naked? Would she be able to avert her eyes and ignore the sea of enticing feminine flesh enough to avoid giving herself away?

"Are you alright Ranko-chan?" Akane asked in concern as she watched the girl struggle to compose herself. Like Yuka and Sayuri, she had no idea what had caused the redhead to blush and turn away. She hoped the girl wasn't coming down with something since they still had double Gym before the day was over.

"I'm... I'm fine," Ranko said shyly as she buried her head in her hands and fought to control her raging blush. She couldn't let the others see how red her cheeks were, not if she wanted to remain in the closet for at least one more day.

"What's everyone doing after school? I was thinking we could go for some ice cream," Sayuri asked in order to change the subject and give her new friend a chance to recover.

"Nothing," Yuka answered with a shrug.

"I have no plans," Akane replied as she turned towards the newest member of their group. She hoped Ranko wasn't busy because she wanted to invite the girl to dinner and introduce her to the rest of the family.

"Work," Ranko replied simply.

The other girls looked at her in surprise and chorused, "Work?"

"In exchange for room and board, Tofu-sensei hired me as his assistant," the redhead explained as her cheeks finally returned to normal. "In between getting settled and preparing for today, I haven't had much time to study the background information I'm missing. Remember, I've been on a martial arts training trip for the last ten years so I haven't been able to attend school like everyone else. I managed to pick up some things during my travels but I'm so far behind I don't even know where to start. I mean I could go to the library and check out a dozen history books I suppose..."

"I doubt that would help Ranko-chan," Akane interjected with a shake of her head. "Our history text should be sufficient for the time being and the same goes for Biology and Literature. Don't worry about Algebra, Yuka, Sayuri and I can help you with that. I mean, you _could_ read about it in a book, but I think we'd be able to tutor you a lot more efficiently."

"That would be great, thank you."

* * *

.

* * *

Several hours later, Ranko was wearing a light blue floral print dress and heading for the Tendo's with a bouquet of flowers. She didn't know whether Akane liked carnations or not, but it was customary to bring a gift when invited to someone's house. As she walked along, the redhead couldn't get a certain raven-haired girl out of her mind and was eager to see her new friend again. Akane had asked her to come over after work and have dinner with her and her family. She had readily accepted but sensed there may have been something else to the girl's request as well.

'_Akane's really cute but I have to stop thinking about her like that,_' she thought wistfully with a deep sigh. She knew she was crushing hard, more than she ever had before and that it would likely lead to heartache. She suspected her friend wasn't a lesbian and still found the male gender attractive despite what they were doing to her in the mornings.

'_What can I do though? It's not like I can turn off my feelings or control who I'm attracted to,_' the redhead wondered as she stopped to stare at the river within the drainage canal below. '_She was so warm and friendly, at least when we weren't talking about boys. I don't even want to think about what may have happened if I'd still been "Ranma" and shown up as a fiancé._'

After staring at nothing in particular for several minutes, Ranko continued towards her destination only to stop in front of a large walled compound. She checked the name on the sign and blinked, unable to fathom the idea her father could be on good terms with someone with money. The man was such an incorrigible thief and liar; it seemed more likely he would try to scam his 'friend' than anything.

'_I should probably warn Tendo-san about Pop, in case they aren't really friends,_' Ranko thought with disdain as she rang the bell. '_I wonder if he's enjoying his stay at the zoo. I hope they keep him for awhile. I really don't need him butting in my life and making a mess of things after all the effort Tofu-sensei and Nikki have put in helping me straighten it out._'

"Excuse me Miss, may I help you?" a soft feminine voice asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

Ranko turned to see a relatively tall, brown haired young woman a few years older than herself looking back at her with a soft smile. The stranger was wearing a yellow house dress and had her hands clasped in front of her as she stood in the doorway. The redhead smiled as a sense of peace washed over her, welcoming her as though she was the young woman's long lost sister.

"Good afternoon ma'am, my name is Ranko Saotome," she greeted cheerfully as she presented her flowers.

"Oneechan! Is that Ranko?" a higher pitched feminine voice called from somewhere within the house, cutting off anything the older teenager was about to say when a certain raven-haired girl wearing a white sundress with light blue trim appeared in the genkan. Akane's eyes lit up as she pulled the stunned redhead into a hug and exclaimed, "Ranko-chan! I'm so glad you made it."

"Hello Akane-chan, thank you for inviting me," Ranko said as she returned the hug before pulling back a few moments later. "I brought a bouquet of flowers as a gift, I hope that's alright."

Akane took the flowers from her sister with a smile and sniffed as she said, "Thank you, they're beautiful…" '…_as are you._' "How did you know Carnations were my favorite?"

"I didn't," the redhead replied with a grin. "It was either them or roses and after Kuno, I figured you would be sick of roses."

The ravenette nodded and started giggling before she was interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

Akane blushed and turned towards her sister as she said, "Ranko-chan, I would like to introduce you to my eldest sister, Kasumi. Oneechan, this is my new friend, Ranko Saotome."

Kasumi smiled warmly and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you Ranko-chan. Are you perchance related to a boy named Ranma Saotome, his sister perhaps? Is Genma Saotome your father?"

"It's nice to meet you too Kasumi-san," Ranko replied with a smile as she considered her next words carefully. "To answer your first question, no, I'm not Ranma's sister. Legally, _my_ name is Ranma, at least for now. I am planning on legally changing my name as soon as I can though. I want to leave my horrible past behind me and start anew. As for Genma-baka being my father, I'd have to say yes, unfortunately."

"Oh my, Father won't be happy to hear that," Kasumi said in mock concern as her brown eyes danced with mirth. "He was so set on the betrothal between our two families but since we're all girls, I'm afraid that just wouldn't be proper."

"Damn," Ranko and Akane deadpanned before turning towards one another and giggling. After a few moments, the redhead pouted and continued in mock disappointment, "I was _so_ looking forward to having a fiancée too."

Kasumi chuckled quietly at the girls' antics and said, "Dinner will be ready in about an hour girls."

"Come on Ranko-chan, I'll show you around and maybe afterward we could spar for a bit," Akane said cheerfully as she grabbed her friend's hand and started dragging the smaller girl through the house.

* * *

.

* * *

Twenty minutes and a short tour later, two teenaged girls wearing identical yellow dougis and matching headbands entered the dojo. Ranko looked around the spacious interior and whistled, impressed not only by how well maintained the place was but how homey it felt. She noticed two plaques along the southern wall depicting the creed of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Situated between the signs was a shrine to the late Kimiko Tendo that reminded everyone of the woman's presence.

Akane smiled as she watched her new friend examine her family legacy and felt a sense of pride wash through her. She wished her father still taught; it was disheartening to know she was the only one who used it but hoped that would change now that Ranko had come into her life.

After helping one another stretch for several minutes, the girls walked towards the center of the dojo and bowed to one another before slipping into their starting stances. Akane favored a typical offensive kenpo stance while Ranko employed a more defensive aikido stance. She figured she was fast enough she could start from a casual stance, but didn't want to underestimate or insult her new friend after seeing what she had done to the Horde that morning.

"Ready?" Akane asked with a feral grin, her brown eyes dancing with anticipation. She had missed having a sparring partner so much. As far as she was concerned, neither Kuno nor the Horde counted since they were more living punching bags than anything and her father was useless.

"Um, sure, I guess," Ranko replied uncertainly, worried about the level of aggression she was sensing from her opponent. It was supposed to be a friendly spar, right? Why did Akane look like she wanted to kill her?

Almost as though someone had flipped a switch, the ravenette relaxed her emotions and walked up to her new friend. Looking at the smaller girl in concern, she laid a gentle hand on her companion's arm and asked quietly, "Are you alright? You look nervous, maybe even a little frightened. We were just going to have a friendly spar, not a fight. I promise I won't hurt you."

"It didn't feel that way to me..." the redhead said quietly as she closed her eyes and tried to relax. She knew with her level of conditioning she wouldn't stand a chance against a seasoned martial artist, especially one capable of handling fifty opponents at once. Even though the boys weren't martial artists, fifty to one was still impressive. It wasn't like her conditioning was much better and there was only one of her!

"Oh Ranko-chan, I'm sorry," the Tendo heiress whispered as she pulled her friend into a comforting embrace. "It's just I haven't had a real sparring partner for so long I guess I got a little overexcited. I've been looking forward to this since you introduced yourself in class this morning."

"Akane-chan, there's something I need to tell you," Ranko whispered as she melted in her crush's arms. "Despite Father dragging me all over Japan and China on that ridiculous training trip for the last ten years, I'm really not much of a martial artist anymore. While we were in China, I had an accident at one of the training grounds and lost most of the chi and physical conditioning I had developed over the years. Since then I've been able to recover some of it, but I'm still no where near where I was. I may seem athletic compared with most people, and I am, but I'm more like an ordinary girl like Yuka, Sayuri or your sisters than a true martial artist."

"Damn," Akane complained before sighing heavily as she slowly released her friend. "I thought I had finally found a girl who was a martial artist like me..."

"I can still spar with you," the redhead interrupted gently as she laid a hand on her companion's arm. "I still remember everything I learned, I just need you to realize I won't be able to take your full power. I saw what you did to those boys this morning and I'd just assume not wind up in the hospital, or the morgue."

"I would never hurt a friend like that," the ravenette countered softly.

"Not purposely, no," Ranko muttered as she walked a few paces away and turned to face her opponent again before taking a defensive aikido stance.

Akane smiled at her new friend, relieved the girl still wanted to spar despite what she'd said about her abilities and slipped into her favorite offensive kenpo stance. After studying her smaller opponent for several moments, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," the Saotome heiress replied with a smile as she subtly shifted her weight to counter the punch her opponent was about to throw. A half second later she was not disappointed when a right hook headed for her face. She grinned as she slipped inside the punch and spun into her friend's personal space before driving her elbow into the other girl's stomach.

Ranko bounced away from her opponent before noticing the other girl seemed to be having trouble breathing. She returned to her friend's side and gently placed a hand on the taller girl's shoulder as she asked in concern, "Are you alright Akane-chan? I'm sorry; I really didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"I'm... I'm alright Ranko-chan," Akane wheezed as she struggled to catch her breath. A few moments later she straightened up and smiled despite the pain and said, "It's just that I'm not actually used to being hit..."

"Oh," the redhead replied softly as she returned to her starting position. She gazed at the other girl with a thoughtful look on her face and wondered, '_She's a martial artist but isn't used to being hit? How does that work?_' She sighed and realized she would need to hold back until her friend developed some toughness despite the fact she had the strength of an ordinary girl. She couldn't help but wonder how Akane managed to even survive the morning fights if the girl couldn't shrug off a hit from _her_.

Over the next fifteen minutes or so, Ranko adjusted her attacks so they were more in line with her friend's conditioning as the girls continued sparring with one another. During their match, she noticed the mana within her still refused to respond like her chi used to in her male form. She couldn't use it to strengthen her physical attacks or toughen up her body to better absorb incoming blows either. She winced every time she deflected one of her friend's attacks and hoped her arms wouldn't be too badly bruised. She knew she would need to develop a different strategy when it came to sparring with martial artists.

'_Oh Kami-sama, Akane needs some serious work. It's almost like she's tried to train herself,_' she thought grimly as she barely ducked beneath a particularly clumsy and overpowered crescent kick. '_She's still using too much power and it's almost like she's trying to kill me again. It's causing her to lose her balance and tire too quickly while her defense is like Swiss cheese. I'd be able to tear her apart in five seconds if we were fighting for real and I was using my male form. Fortunately, a lot of her problems should be fairly easy to fix with some time and effort._'

Finally, Ranko decided she'd seen enough and could tell her friend was getting frustrated. She back flipped away and held up a hand as she said, "That's enough."

"But..." Akane started only to stop when she noticed her opponent shake her head.

"No Akane-chan, that's enough," the redhead said gently. "You're getting frustrated and it's starting to make you sloppy."

"Am I really that bad?" the ravenette asked in a small voice as she bowed her head, hoping the other girl wouldn't see her eyes watering.

"Of course not, why would you think that?" Ranko asked in confusion as she walked up to her friend and pulled the taller girl into a comforting hug.

"I couldn't touch you," Akane replied quietly as she melted in her companion's embrace. "D-Do you think you could train me? Despite what you've said about your conditioning, it's obvious you're still a lot better than I am and Daddy won't train me anymore."

Ranko wanted to continue comforting the beautiful girl in her arms but knew she couldn't when she sensed an emotionally cold presence slowly approaching. She stepped back and smiled warmly as she said, "I'd be happy to. Now that I have an idea of your skill level and what you need to work on, I'll create a training regiment for you and we can go from there alright?"

Akane smiled brightly as she dried her eyes and said emphatically, "Thank you Ranko-chan. That really means a lot to me."

Nabiki chose that moment to walk into the dojo and paused as she briefly studied the martial artists. Not finding anything she could use to make money or entertain herself with, the mercenary said in a bored tone, "Girls, Kasumi-neechan says dinner will be ready soon and she'd like you to clean up."

"Thanks, Oneechan," Akane replied cheerfully as she grabbed her friend's hand before heading for the house. "Come on Ranko-chan, we can take our bath together."

Ranko's smile faltered as she felt the blood drain out of her face at the prospect of sharing a bath with her crush. Worse, she still needed to tell Akane about her curse and knowing how the girl hated boys... '_Crap, what am I going to do about that? I used the last of my waterproof soap on Pop so he'd be stuck as a panda for awhile and stay out of my life. I'm going to have to tell her the truth, Yuka and Sayuri too. The longer I wait, the worse it's going to be, but I can't prove anything until I'm off my period.'_

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the redhead's strange reaction and wondered, '_What was that all about?_'

* * *

.

* * *

A half an hour later, Kasumi called everyone to the table as she and Ranko carried the last of her dinner preparations into the family room. While Akane had been busy cleaning up, she'd changed back into her cheongsam and talked with Kasumi as the older girl finished preparing dinner. She wanted to learn to cook real food, not simply campfire fare, and had asked many poignant questions about technique, preparation and ingredient selection much to her companion's delight. What had really made Kasumi beam with happiness and pride was when she'd asked the older girl to teach her how to cook.

"Father, Nabiki-chan, there's someone I would like you to meet," Kasumi said once her father and sisters had taken their usual seats. When Ranko entered the room, she turned towards their guest and continued, "This is Ranma Saotome, though she prefers to be addressed as Ranko. Ranko-chan, allow me to introduce my father, Soun Tendo, and my younger sister Nabiki."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the redhead greeted warmly and smiled as she studied the Tendos. Starting with Soun, she raised an eyebrow at the patriarch's dark brown dougi and wondered why a grown man who wasn't on a martial arts training trip would walk around his house in such an outfit. Maybe the man was like her father and didn't like wearing, or in the panda's case own, anything else.

Dismissing the man from her thoughts, Ranko turned towards the middle Tendo and smirked. While Akane hadn't told her much about her family, the ravenette had warned her of Nabiki's proclivities regarding blackmail, extortion and information brokering. The brunette had a predatory gleam in her eye that reminded her of a snake, laying in wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. She knew she would need to be careful around the mercenary, especially when it came to her two biggest secrets: her male form and sexual preference.

'_I'll have to watch her carefully,_' she mused as her eyes clandestinely examined Nabiki's figure. The girl had some nice curves from what she could tell and would've made for an interesting girlfriend were it not for her amoral and sociopathic personality. '_It may be dishonorable to threaten her with martial arts, but that doesn't mean I can't use my magic against her. She'll come after me, there's no doubt about that. It's just a question of how, and when._'

Allowing her eyes to wander again, Ranko's gaze fell upon the girl who had invited her in the first place. Her smirk softened to a gentle smile as her eyes absorbed every detail of her crush's face with perfect accuracy. As their eyes locked with one another, she could feel her heart beginning to pound heavily within her chest as her breath hitched. Just like that afternoon, she felt _something_ pass between them but had no idea what it meant.

'_Kami-sama she's beautiful,_' the Saotome heiress thought dreamily. She knew she was heading for trouble and mentally berated herself for falling too fast too soon. '_Slow down baka, you just met her this morning and you don't know if she even likes girls that way._'

"Ranko-chan, come sit by me," Akane invited with a warm smile as she patted the space beside her. '_She has such a pretty smile. Unfortunately, it won't be long before the boys notice and start chasing her. She might not mind despite what she said at lunch, but I suspect she'll grow tired of it rather quickly. What girl wouldn't?_'

"Itadakimasu," everyone chorused before they started eating.

"Well imouto, looks like you got your wish after all," Nabiki said with a smirk as she studied the red-haired girl sitting across from her. '_I may have lost a potential fiancé, but I should be able to make it up to my heart easily enough with Yen. I can't wait to start selling photos of her at school; I doubt I'll be able to keep them in stock._'

"What wish?" Akane asked in mock confusion, remembering the wish her sister was referring to but not wanting it misconstrued into something it wasn't. Or more accurately, something buried deep within herself she wasn't quite ready to address, let alone accept.

"Don't you remember? When Daddy originally told us about the engagement, you wished Ranma was a girl. I'd say it worked, a little _too_ well," the middle Tendo replied with a hint of jealousy. Turning towards her father, her tone hardened as she continued, "I was actually looking forward to meeting a decent guy but no, Ranma just _had_ to be a girl!"

'_Good thing too,_' Ranko thought with a shiver. '_Akane would've hated me and I'd have been stuck with her._'

"Genma _told_ me he had a son," Soun defended before glancing at their guest.

"You _do_ know the difference between boys and girls, right Daddy?" Nabiki asked snidely.

"Ranko-san, where is your father?" the Tendo patriarch asked as he glared at his second daughter. "I'd like to have a few words with him."

"Not sure Tendo-san, he disappeared shortly after we arrived in Japan," Ranko replied nonchalantly and shrugged.

"Probably didn't want face Daddy after lying to him all these years," Nabiki grumbled quietly.

"You're not worried about your father Ranko-chan?" Kasumi asked in concern as she turned towards their guest in shock.

"Nope, the moron has gotten himself into plenty of scrapes over the years and always managed to find a way out,' the redhead replied with a heavy sigh. "Besides, I'm sure he'll turn up and find a way to ruin my life again soon enough."

None of the Tendos were quite sure how to take that.

"I should probably start from the beginning," Ranko said quietly as she set her chopsticks down and folded her hands in her lap. "Genma and I returned to Japan sometime Saturday morning. He mentioned the four of you and wanted to come here straight away while I wanted to go home. I was a bit surprised he didn't want to return to his wife. Then again, he did abandon her for ten years so maybe he's not interested in women anymore. He certainly hates the fact I'm a girl."

Shaking her head to clear it, the redhead sighed and continued, "Turns out both you and mother live in Nerima, so I decided it wasn't worth arguing with him anymore and we started heading here. What happened next was strange. The second we crossed into Nerima it started pouring, almost as though the storm that had been following us all morning was waiting for that precise moment."

The Tendos thought back to the previous Saturday and the freak thunderstorm that had come out of nowhere, inundate the area and then disappear as though it had never been there to begin with. Naturally, the effects hadn't just disappeared. In fact, it had rained so hard so quickly the streets flooded because the torrent of water overloaded the city's drainage system. It had taken days for their yard to recover from the swamp it had become during the storm.

"Shortly afterward, we became separated and I decided to look for my mother," Ranko continued somberly, her eyes beginning to sting as she relived her mother's rejection for the umpteenth time. Kasumi and Akane felt their hearts clench at the sudden change in mood. The ravenette took her friend's hand and gently squeezed to show the girl she wasn't alone.

"What happened?" Kasumi asked gently and hoped her friend hadn't discovered her mother had died while she'd been away.

"M-Mother..."

"I'm here Ranko-chan, just let it out," Akane soothed quietly as she pulled her friend into a gentle embrace and started rubbing the smaller girl's back. She felt the redhead's hot tears dampen her dress but ignored it as she focused on her maternal instincts and tried to comfort the distraught girl. Instincts she would've thought more natural coming from Kasumi than her, the perpetually angry tomboy who didn't seem to have an ounce of femininity in her body. Still, it wasn't her eldest sister holding the shaking the younger girl in her arms, it was her.

Until then Nabiki hadn't really been paying much attention nor did she care. At their guest's sudden change in demeanor however, she began to feel her own depression well up inside her as images of her mother appeared in her mind. If Ranko's mother was dead, made worse because she hadn't been around when it happened...

Ranko didn't want to cry. She didn't want to care that her mother had thrown her away like yesterday's trash. She wanted to be happy because despite the woman's rejection, she had four new friends, a sister and a potential surrogate mother who genuinely cared for her. What did she need a manly obsessed sword wielding psychopath for? Despite her mind's logical arguments, she couldn't deny her heart and at that moment it wanted her mother to love and accept her for who she truly was.

"Is she..."

"No, she's still alive but in many ways that's even worse," Ranko replied bitterly as she buried her head into her crush's chest.

"Shh, it's okay," Akane soothed quietly as she continued to gently rub her friend's back.

"How _dare_ you!" Nabiki snarled angrily as she glared at the smaller girl. At her sisters' harsh looks, the middle Tendo continued in a softer tone, "Ranko-san, our mother has been dead for many years now and there's not a day that goes by where we don't miss her."

"Nabiki-san, did your mother love you while she was alive?" the redhead asked quietly as she pulled away from her friend and dried her eyes.

"Of course."

"Then you really can't understand my feelings," Ranko said as she looked down at the table and another round of tears threatened to run down her cheeks. "My mother never loved me. I've always been a sensitive child and more interested in activities such as: gymnastics, dance, music, art and literature. I also like to cook and garden. Sounds like traits and interests a traditional woman would love to see in her daughter, right?"

The Tendos nodded.

"And therein lies the problem," the sorceress continued quietly as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Nodoka didn't want a daughter, she wanted a son. More importantly, she wanted a man amongst men, whatever that means. She gave me to her husband who then proceeded to put me through years of tortuous hell as we wandered around Japan and more recently China. I never wanted to be a martial artist in the first place. I still don't, but I've come to appreciate the artistic side of the Art so I'm okay with it now."

In the shocked silence that followed, Ranko wiped away her tears and continued, "Because of my so-called _parents_, I've never really had a childhood. Once Genma-baka dragged me on that stupid training trip, I never had a home. I never had anyone tell me they loved me or hold me close when I was hurt or upset. I was never allowed to stay in one place long enough to go to school or make friends except for one time and I barely remember her. It was just me and the stupid old man for ten long hellish years."

"What was her name?" Akane asked softly as her eyes welled up with tears. Glancing at her eldest sister, she could see Kasumi's eyes shimmering with unshed tears as well.

"Ukyo," Ranko replied with a hint of a smile. Shaking her head, she continued sadly, "I don't remember her family name but she would call me Ranchan while I called her Ucchan. I've often wondered if I would ever see her again…"

"You poor dear," Kasumi said as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Which brings me to where I'm living now," the redhead said quietly as she basked in the friendship and warmth radiating from Kasumi and Akane. Even Nabiki seemed to be feeling some sympathy, though she wouldn't have known without her empathic abilities from the girl's stoic 'ice queen' expression. Soun was upset but it was hard to tell whether it was because of her story or the fact she was a girl.

"Nodoka didn't want me, just as she didn't want me ten years ago when she threw me out of the house the first time," the sorceress said dejectedly as another tear slipped down her cheek. "After that, I wandered aimlessly for who knows how long mostly on instinct until a monster thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere. Fortunately, I stumbled upon Tofu-sensei's clinic and bless his soul; he offered to take me in until I could get back on my feet."

Kasumi smiled warmly and dried her eyes as she said, "I'm glad. What happened next?"

"Tofu-sensei called one of his associates, a woman named Nikki Kimura who happens to be a psychologist," the redhead replied with a brilliant smile as she replayed the last several days in her mind. "She's everything my mother isn't: patient, caring, understanding and kind. I felt comfortable around her right away and she really helped me with everything that had been happening lately. I also met my younger twin sister Reiko which I hadn't even known I had."

"You have a sister?" Akane asked with wide-eyes as she stared at her friend in shock.

"Yeah and get this, other than our ages we are identical which doesn't make any sense since we have different fathers..." Ranko said before trailing off. In the ensuing silence, she nodded and continued, "Reiko is eight years old and will turn nine in September. Genma and I have been gone for more than ten years..."

"Oh my..."

"So, not only does my mother hate me, probably because I remind her of her indiscretion, but she couldn't even be bothered to raise her second daughter and put her up for adoption a week after she was born," the sorceress spat in disgust. "As far as I'm concerned, Nodoka Saotome is unfit to be a mother and I'm better off without her. It still hurts though, despite how much of a blessing it might be.

"Anyways," Ranko continued in a happier tone, "Tofu-sensei and Auntie Nikki offered me a chance at a normal life. For the first time since that damn training trip, I have a home and a family that cares about me. Tofu-sensei offered me a job as his receptionist/nurse in exchange for room and board while giving me the chance to attend school. Auntie Nikki took me shopping for clothing as I barely had anything because of my years on the road along with school supplies and uniforms. I even managed to make friends which I figured would take awhile, assuming it happened at all."

Akane smiled at her new friend before glancing at Kasumi. At the older girl's nod, she turned towards her father and asked, "Daddy, may Ranko stay with us please?"

* * *

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**_Author's Notes: _**

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it. _

_Publish Date: February 26__th__, 2020_


	6. Destruction of the Horde

Disclaimer:

Sadly, I do not own the amusement park that is Nerima, or the colorful characters Rumiko Takahashi created for us. I have been planning a transgender story for awhile now and have finally decided to try it. Unlike other stories using this same premise, this will not be a simple retelling of the manga. There will be canon events; however, they are not the focus of this story. There will be a number of plots and sub-plots that play out as Ranma discovers who and what she really is as opposed to what she had been led to believe growing up. I hope you enjoy it.

#foreign language#, *panda signs*, "spoken", '_thoughts_', [_telepathic messages_]

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**The Butterfly Effect**

Chapter Five

_Destruction of the Horde_

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**(Thursday, May 7****th****, 1992, Early Morning)**

It was her second day of school and Ranko was sitting at the kitchen table eating a leisurely breakfast with her benefactor following their morning workout. Neither of them had felt like sparring and decided to practice their individual styles instead. Like the previous morning, she'd run through graceful and dance-like kata to mentally prepare herself for the day. While she'd never cared for the fighting aspect of the Art, she still enjoyed the artistry and gracefulness of it.

"Tofu-sensei," Ranko asked as she set her chopsticks aside and folded her hands in her lap. When her companion placed his newspaper on the table and gave her his full attention, she continued nervously, "The Tendos invited me to move in with them. I asked them to let me think about it for a few days, but I don't know whether I should accept considering everything you've done for me. I don't want to seem ungrateful..."

"Don't worry about me Ranko-chan," Tofu said gently. "The question you should really be asking yourself is this: what do _you_ want to do."

"I... Well, I don't know exactly. You've been so kind..." the redhead trailed off as she looked down at her lap. Deep in her heart she knew exactly what she wanted to do. She didn't want to live with a man, no matter how cute or friendly and would rather stay with her sister or best friend. Regardless of where she lived, it wasn't like she would quit working at the clinic after school. While she would prefer being with her sister and surrogate family, the Kimuras hadn't offered whereas the Tendos had. If she accepted their offer, she would be able to assist Akane with her martial arts training and receive help with her school work a lot easier than their current arrangement.

"Yes, you do. You're just trying to spare my feelings," the sandy haired man replied with a smile. "If it'll set your mind at ease, I think you would feel more comfortable if you moved in with them. One, they are all around your age but more importantly, they're female and can help you in ways I wouldn't even begin to understand."

"How can I ever repay your kindness?" Ranko asked softly as she gazed into her companion's warm brown eyes.

"By being true to yourself and doing the best you can," Tofu answered softly as he folded his hands on the kitchen table. "I would like to believe we're friends, or at least on our way to becoming such. Nikki considers you family, her adoptive daughter's older sister, and she wants you to have as much of a chance at a normal life as I do. We both want you to succeed and enjoy life in whatever manner you choose."

"Thank you, Tofu-sensei, so much. No one's ever done anything like this for me before," Ranko said as she clasped her hands over her heart, her vibrant blue eyes sparkling with happiness.

"You're welcome Ranko-chan, you deserve it."

* * *

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* * *

A half an hour later, Ranko was walking to school as her mind replayed events from the previous evening. When Akane had invited her to dinner, she had envisioned a similar experience to what she'd had with the Kimuras. The reality turned out quite different and it pretty much boiled down to one thing, an absent mother. That wasn't to say there was no maternal presence within the family, it's just Kasumi was still a teenager herself and had put her life on hold to take care of her sisters and father.

'_I can understand having problems coping with the loss of a loved one but what Soun has done to his family is inexcusable,_' Ranko thought angrily as she shook her head in disgust. '_Kasumi was what, eight, when Kimiko died? The same age Reiko is now. That's awfully young to become a mother for her even younger sisters all because he was too much of a coward to be a father for his own children. Eleven years later and he's still no more their father than he was then. Kasumi has had to sacrifice her childhood, her teenaged years and now her young adulthood all because Soun is too lazy and irresponsible to be an adult. No wonder he and the panda are friends._

'_Huh, wonder if __**that's**__ the source of Akane's deep seeded anger,_' the redhead mused as she turned her thoughts towards her best friend. '_I could've sworn I felt a flash of deep anger when I mentioned my mother and how she treated me. Is that it? Does she blame her mother for leaving her and her father abandoning her when she needed them most? It's not like Kimiko had much of a choice but Soun certainly did._

'_I'm not the only one who could benefit from talking with a psychologist,_' she thought as she considered what she knew about the four Tendos. '_I should talk to Auntie and see if she'd be willing to speak with the entire family. Maybe it would help them finally come to terms with Kimiko's death and allow them to move on with their lives._

'_In the meantime,_' the sorceress mentally growled as she approached the front gates. She knew something decisive would have to be done about the Horde. Something that would have lasting effects, but she wasn't sure what she could really do with her limited martial arts abilities. There was her magic, but the problem with that is she couldn't control it and typically went overboard when she gave into her anger.

Whatever Akane had been doing hadn't proven effective because the losers kept trying. Ranko knew despite her friend's buried anger; the girl was a gentle soul and didn't want to hurt anyone she didn't absolutely have to. They were alike in that regard, but she also knew from bitter experience people generally didn't change unless they were forced. While she certainly didn't want to kill anyone, she knew she'd have to figure out a way to punish them severely, like multiple fractures, concussions and hospitalizations badly to have a chance at stopping the madness once and for all.

The Horde, along with its head pervert Tatewaki Kuno, would have to be destroyed. There was no choice. She knew Akane was just barely holding herself together and it wouldn't be long before the girl completely snapped. Her friend already had a quicksilver temper and hated boys, not just the Horde. She frowned at that and hoped the girl wouldn't hate her once her curse was revealed.

Ranko paused by the canal and stared at the calm water, her mind drifting once more to the events that had occurred the evening before. Immediately after dinner, she and Akane had returned to the ravenette's bedroom. Once they were seated comfortably on the bed, Akane proceeded to tell her everything that had been happening since the beginning of term. Halfway through her explanation, Ranko pulled her sobbing friend into a comforting embrace and gently rubbed the girl's back as she whispered soothing words to ease the pain.

Neither of them knew how long they'd remained in one another's arms nor did either of them particularly care. After searching for ages, both girls had finally found a kindred spirit, someone who could understand the scars on their hearts. Ranko knew her friend was hurting, not just from the loss of her mother so long ago, but the constant harassment at school as well. While she couldn't do anything about the former, she could certainly do something about the latter.

Akane could tell her friend was suffering, not just from an abusive father but feeling abandoned by her mother as well. She understood why the redhead thought she had the better deal. At least she had known her mother loved her for the short time they were together whereas Ranko believed her mother hated her just because she was a girl.

* * *

A few minutes later, Ranko walked through the front gates and paused to ascertain the situation. Fortunately, like the morning before she was early and the Horde hadn't had a chance to organize into a single mob yet. She noted a certain delusional kendoist standing behind a tree and shivered as she hurried from the entrance, praying she wouldn't attract the creepy boy's attention. There was something she wanted to deal with first. She looked for a certain baseball player and narrowed her eyes when she spotted Kenji carrying a bat as he walked with four other boys. She wanted to lay into him for participating in what she considered gang rape but decided she would try a more _diplomatic_ approach first. Even if Akane wasn't her best friend, she'd still want to defend the girl as a member of the Sisterhood and because it was the right thing to do.

"Kenji Kimura."

The boy in question felt his blood run cold as a shiver ran down his spine. He knew that voice, along with the icy tone accompanying it. He wasn't sure what the girl wanted but whatever it was he was certain he wouldn't like it. In the short time they had been acquainted she hadn't shown him an ounce of warmth. In fact, she'd been downright hostile. He turned slowly and swallowed hard when his eyes fell upon a short, busty and very stern looking redhead glaring at him coldly. He could feel the chill radiating off her body and started fidgeting nervously, certain he was about to have _another_ embarrassing accident.

"I didn't want to believe it when I saw you with the Horde yesterday," Ranko said icily as she pierced the taller boy with her glare, not even bothering to keep her voice down. "Now that I've seen it twice, I'm much more inclined to believe my senses and I must say I am quite disappointed in you. While part of me isn't surprised, considering some of the things you were thinking about the other night, I figured _someone_ would've been interested in the star pitcher of Furinkan High. Instead, you've disgraced your family and yourself by becoming nothing more than a common thug trying to beat up a lone girl along with fifty other losers.

"A girl, I might add, who just happens to be _my_ best friend," the redhead snarled, her eyes darkening until they were a demonic reddish-purple as she crossed her arms over her chest. The boys gulped nervously at the color change and stepped back in fear. "I'm going to give you a choice. Regardless of which you choose, I _will_ be informing your parents about this. You can be sure they'll be quite unhappy with you, especially your mother."

"Please Ranko-san, please don't tell Mom..."

"You should've thought of that _before_ you decided to join this mangy group of slobbering dogs," the sorceress spat in disgust as she waved airily at the nearby boys in contempt, her frost aura continuing to chill the air around her. She ignored the hostile mutterings of the dozen or so boys within earshot and continued to eviscerate her sister's eldest brother. "Your choice is simple: forswear your allegiance to the Horde or get the shit kicked out of you when I destroy this pathetic rabble and its perverted master once and for all. The Horde is done. I'm giving you this warning as a courtesy because you are Reiko's brother, but should you decide to stand with the Horde, you _will_ fall with the Horde."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and marched into the school leaving behind a very scared pitcher along with several confused boys. She could feel her anger beginning to spiral out of control and knew she needed to calm down before her dark aura made an appearance and she started laying into people who didn't deserve it. Fortunately, she managed to keep her aura under control and made her way to the roof where she could relax without anyone else around. It would also give her an excellent vantage point to observe the results of her ultimatum.

'_Despite how frightened those losers were, I doubt any of them will actually listen to me,_' the redhead thought sourly as she stared at the sea of students continuing to gather within the courtyard below while considering her options. As the minutes ticked by, she could feel the dark chaotic energy within her begin to swirl violently as more and more boys clad in sports gear gathered near the entrance. She just shook her head in disgust and glanced at her watch before looking up the road. Sure enough, a certain dark-haired girl was walking slowly towards the front gates with all the eagerness of someone awaiting her own execution.

'_Somehow, some way, this shit ends today,_' Ranko mentally growled, her eyes darkening to their alternative demonic reddish-purple color as her dark aura exploded around her lithe body. She could feel her anger coursing through her veins, untold power aching to be released and it was only because no one was looking in her direction that anyone had an inkling of what was about to happen.

[_This is for you Akane._]

* * *

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* * *

Meanwhile, Akane was trudging towards school with a resigned look on her face. She'd hoped Ranko would meet her before she had to deal with Kuno and the Horde but there was no sign of her new friend anywhere. The girl had seemed quite eager to help her with the morning stupidity but if that was the case, where was she? The youngest Tendo could see the boys gathering by the front gate and sighed before asking herself for the umpteenth time what she had ever done to deserve the daily harassment. Kuno, as usual, was waiting behind a tree no doubt practicing more stupid poetry in a lame attempt to impress her.

The ravenette reached within her heart for her ever-present deep seeded anger and felt it surge through her body. While she generally didn't like being angry, it was like a comfortable blanket she could wrap around her battered heart when the world started getting too close. She'd been having problems with it ever since her mother died and her father became worse than useless. Unfortunately, she had never been able to let it go and move on. It was now as much a part of her as the soft and gentle side she had shown her new friend the evening before. She desperately wanted to be _that_ Akane more often but in order for it to happen; the boys would have to start leaving her alone.

'_Ranko..._' Akane thought with a sigh as her eyes started shimmering with unshed tears. She wanted her friends. She wanted to walk through the front gates like everyone else and not be molested or attacked. Unfortunately, everything was the same as it had been for the last several weeks. No one was walking beside her nor were any of her friends in sight. There was, however, a mob of boys standing between her and her destination. Growling low in her throat, she clenched her fists and started walking towards the school with a determined look in her fiery brown eyes.

[_This is for you Akane._]

The girl in question froze, certain she had just heard Ranko's voice and looked around in confusion. Not seeing the girl in question, she sighed in disappointment before resuming her determined stride towards school and the morning stupidity. A flash of reddish-orange caught her eye but when she looked up, all she could tell was the courtyard seemed to be bustling with activity. Akane paused and scratched her head in confusion. Was Ranko taking care of the Horde after all? Were those screams she was hearing? She knew how upset the Horde had made her new friend. Hell, the redhead was fit to be tied when she had told the girl about her problems at school so it wasn't really a surprise she'd want to punish the boys on her behalf.

* * *

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* * *

Ranko narrowed her eyes as she glared at the gathered group of boys, her rage intensifying to the point where the air surrounding her body ignited into a blistering inferno as her hands burst into flames. An evil smile slowly spread across her lips as she briefly admired the softball-sized fireball in her hands before searching the group of boys for a familiar face.

'_I warned you Kenji. I gave you a chance to save yourself and __**this**__ is what you've decided to do with it,_' the sorceress thought darkly when she spotted the Kimura boy within the Horde. A truly wicked grin crossed her lips as she hurled the fireball towards the unsuspecting baseball player. She watched in satisfaction as the ball of fire streaked towards the courtyard like a meteor before slamming into the ground and exploding, hurling Kenji along with two dozen other boys through the air like they were rag dolls. Her smile turned truly sadistic and she started cackling madly when she heard several cries of pain and the tell-tale sounds of snapping bones as the boys hit the ground in rather undignified positions.

What happened next could only be described as complete pandemonium.

Screams filled the air as boys and girls alike started panicking in wake of the sudden attack. Everyone too shocked to scream or run, including Nabiki Tendo, just stared opened mouthed in disbelief at the smoldering ten-foot diameter crater in the center of the courtyard. The students were accustomed to martial arts craziness from Kuno, Akane and the dozens of jocks involved in the morning madness but nothing like this. The chemistry club had been trying since the beginning of term to construct a working land mine but what happened that morning hadn't been because them either. Was there a new faction?

Ranko watched in dark amusement as the group of boys scattered like ants, practically tripping over one another in a desperate bid to escape. She didn't plan on hurling any more fireballs since it was obvious the Horde was too frightened and disorganized to mount an assault upon her friend that morning. Should the group persist, she was prepared to hurt them even worse but for the moment, her warning had been delivered and her vengeance satisfied.

Turning from the carnage, the petite red-haired sorceress casually walked towards the stairwell as her fiery aura dissipated and her eyes returned to their natural dark blue state. She wanted to get a closer look at what she had done to the Horde and Kuno still needed to be dealt with. Change was coming to Furinkan, that much was certain, whether they wanted it or not.

* * *

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* * *

Meanwhile, Tatewaki Kuno was standing behind his favorite tree preparing his lines when several odd things happened. Ordinarily his minions would rush the front gates and shout their pathetic declarations of love only to get their butts handed to them by a slip of a girl he'd come to fancy since laying eyes on her. Once the grunts had been dealt with, he then faced her to give her a chance to accept his devotion before they inevitably sparred with one another. He never went all out because he believed he was much too strong for her and didn't want to seriously hurt her. It was a comfortable routine he'd gotten used to over the last few weeks as he bided his time.

Contrary to what everyone seemed to believe, he wasn't a complete idiot. He knew the current Horde 'strategy' wasn't working and they would never defeat the fierce tigress. That privilege was for him and him alone. Unfortunately, the girl was being stubborn and kept refusing him. Couldn't she see all she had to do was accept his love and the attacks would stop?

Kuno frowned. Something was different and in his mind, different was bad. Rather than the routine charge and subsequent beat down, the Horde had been standing around waiting when an explosion suddenly ripped through the courtyard and the screaming began.

'_What is going on?_' the kendoist wondered as he sauntered out from behind his tree only to freeze in shock. It was pure chaos. Students not normally involved in the morning festivities were screaming in panic. Looking around, the elder Kuno noticed the semi-broken bodies of the Horde spread across the courtyard but that wasn't what really caught his attention. No, what caused him to pause was the ten-foot diameter crater in the middle of the walkway leading from the front gates to the main entrance of the school. It looked as though someone had disrupted the morning ritual with some kind of explosive.

Several minutes passed before everyone had calmed down enough to stop screaming and running as they stared at the destruction in shock. When it was apparent no more attacks were forthcoming, Kuno walked up to the crater and drew his bokken as he demanded loudly, "Who is responsible for this?"

* * *

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* * *

Meanwhile, Akane was approaching the front gate only to stop when she noticed the bizarre scene in front of her. Rather than the usual mob of fifty losers trying to defeat her because they foolishly thought she'd ever consider dating them, there was a sizable crater in the middle of the courtyard and dozens of bodies lying on the ground in various uncomfortable positions. Some of them looked as though they'd been trampled by their comrades while others appeared to have been set on fire. Between the scorch marks on their uniforms and the ground surrounding the crater, there seemed to be no explanation for the situation except someone had attacked the Horde with an explosive of some kind.

'_Did Ranko do this? How, by throwing a stick of dynamite at them,_' the Tendo heiress wondered, uncertain how she should feel about the event. On the one hand, if the attack led to the Horde stopping their morning assaults she was all for it. On the other, throwing explosives at school boys and causing grievous or potentially lethal injuries was beyond the pale. Regardless of what had happened, she knew she would need to talk with her friend about the incident. It seemed highly unlikely the girl wasn't involved somehow.

Akane watched as Kuno walked out from behind his tree and demanded to know who had caused the crater. A moment later she spotted her newest friend standing by the entrance of the school staring at the destruction with a pensive look on her face. Nodding to herself, she marched passed the battered and bloodied Horde and its Kingpin without sparing either a glance.

"Ranko-chan, what's wrong?" the raven-haired girl asked quietly as she walked up to her friend. Looking the other girl over, she could tell Ranko had been crying. The redhead's shoulders were slumped and her eyes were red and puffy while her cheeks were damp. Instantly, she felt incredibly protective of the smaller girl and wondered whether the boys had tried to harass her. With her friend's body being more akin to that of an ordinary girl, fifty to one odds would've easily overwhelmed the smaller girl no matter how good she was one on one. The odd thing was the girl's clothing and hair didn't look mussed in the slightest, so something _else_ must have happened to upset her.

"I… I lost control… I… I wanted to help you with the Horde, but…" Ranko stuttered as she stared at the ground in shame. As far as she was concerned, her attack on the Horde was much worse than when she'd nearly killed her father while they were in Jusenkyo. Genma was a martial artist; the members of the Horde were not. It was the second time since becoming a girl she had felt herself become incredibly angry only to find destruction and grievous injuries once she returned to her senses.

"_You_ did this? How?" Akane asked incredulously as she gestured towards the destruction.

"Remember when I told you I wasn't really a martial artist anymore due to my accident in China?" the redhead asked quietly as she turned to look at the gruesome scene. At her friend's nod, she continued somberly, "Father and I had gone to this bizarre training ground named Jusenkyo. The area itself wasn't particularly special; it was simply a collection of bamboo poles sticking out of hundreds of different springs. The thing is, the springs themselves made the place strange by imparting weird effects on anyone who fell in them. When it happened to me, I lost nearly all the chi and physical conditioning I had spent years developing. It wasn't all negative though, in exchange for my martial arts abilities I've gained a special kind of energy called mana. When I talked to a neighboring tribe about what had happened, one of the elders told me I had become a sorceress.

"That," Ranko continued with a heavy sigh as she pointed towards the crater, "is a result of that mana."

"How often has this happened?" the Tendo heiress asked in concern as she laid a gentle hand on her friend's arm.

"Twice now," the sorceress replied somberly. "The first time was while the old man and I were still at Jusenkyo. He started yelling at me, calling me a disgrace and threatening to disown me because I wasn't the martial artist I used to be. Like this time, I became really angry and the next thing I knew he was imbedded in a wall and unconscious. Worse, it turned out I had nearly killed him…"

Ranko shuddered for a few moments before continuing, "Since then, I've tried using various meditation techniques to gain control of my new abilities but I still can't do anything with them without being super angry. It's… It's frustrating…"

"I'll bet, not to mention incredibly dangerous," Akane said softly as she ran her hand down her friend's arm until she clasped the smaller girl's hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze before letting go and said, "Come on, the bell is about to ring and we need to get to class. We can talk to Tofu-sensei after school, maybe he'll know something."

"Maybe," Ranko agreed as the two of them headed inside. "I've already told him about Jusenkyo and he knows about my magic. Too much was going on at the time with my mother's rejection and meeting Reiko so we haven't discussed it further."

"Sounds like an interesting research project. I'll help if you want, but I understand if you'd rather do it alone," the ravenette said as they walked up the stairwell towards their classroom.

"I would like that, thank you," the redhead replied with a sunny smile.

Akane smiled back and said, "Of course, that's what friends are for. I know you're frightened of your new powers, but I'm here for you and I believe you'll eventually be able to control them. I also want to thank you for dealing with the Horde today. I doubt even those idiots will try again after that, but if they do, I still want to thank you for today."

"You're welcome. Like you said, that's what friends are for."

* * *

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* * *

The next couple of hours were relatively uneventful despite the massive undercurrent of anxiety, fear and suspicion saturating the classroom due to the morning attack. While no one besides Akane, Yuka and Sayuri knew for a fact Ranko was the cause, it wasn't hard for the rest of the class to come to the conclusion seeing as how nothing like it had ever happened before the redhead started attending school.

"Ranko Saotome, report to the Deputy Headmaster's office immediately," a stern male voice demanded over the intercom.

The classroom fell silent for several moments as everyone turned to stare at the girl in question before soft murmurs could be heard throughout the room. Ranko just sighed and started packing up her things, acutely aware everyone was watching her carefully. Unsurprisingly, the thick atmosphere of fear and uncertainty started giving way to curiosity from most of her classmates. She felt touched when she sensed her friends' concern and smiled to assure the girls everything would be alright.

Turning towards her teacher, Ranko asked with a slight tremor in her voice, "Sensei, may I please be excused?"

"Of course, Saotome-san."

"Thank you, Sensei," the redhead said as she flashed her friends a dazzling fake smile before leaving the classroom with a bounce in her step she didn't feel inside. Truth be told, she was feeling rather nervous. It was only her second day and already she was in trouble. Despite her initial reaction to the contrary, she didn't really regret what she had done to the Horde. They needed to be stopped, but she was reasonably certain the administration wouldn't be quite as understanding.

A few minutes later Ranko found herself standing in front of the Deputy Headmaster's office. She didn't need to reach out with her empathic senses to feel the combination of anger and disappointment radiating from the other side of the door. Steeling her resolve for the coming storm, the redhead smoothed her dress to look more presentable before knocking politely.

"Come in," an angry male voice called.

Gulping nervously, the sorceress took a deep breath and walked inside.

"Sit," the same male voice ordered curtly as he glared at the redhead who meekly walked into his office. Good, the girl was nervous and looked like she was about to cry. Maybe there was hope for her yet and she wasn't the evil psychopath he'd been led to believe she was.

Ranko nodded wordlessly and sat demurely in the only chair provided. Along with two police officers, she noticed Tofu and Nikki standing beside the Deputy Headmaster's desk looking at her with sadness and disappointment in their eyes. The administrator himself was a relatively short but overweight man with tuffs of grey hair around his ears on his otherwise bald head. His black eyes bored into her and she bowed her head in shame, tears slipping down her cheeks as she waited for the man to speak.

"Saotome-san, do you know why you're here?" Hisano Watanabe asked sternly as he folded his hands on his desk.

"I suspect it has something to do with what happened this morning before school," the redhead replied softly.

"You could say that," the portly man growled as he continued to glare at his student. "A witness came forward and told us how you'd threatened multiple students. He also told us you said the following and I quote, 'Your choice is simple: forswear your allegiance to the Horde or get the shit kicked out of you when I destroy this pathetic rabble and its perverted master once and for all. The Horde is done. I'm giving you this warning as a courtesy because you are Reiko's brother, but should you decide to stand with the Horde, you _will_ fall with the Horde.'"

Watanabe stared at his student for a long moment and allowed everyone a chance to digest the statement before demanding, "Did you, or did you not, say those words to Kenji Kimura?"

"Before I answer that, Sensei, are you aware of an organization on campus known as the Hentai Horde?" Ranko asked politely as she looked at the five adults, her face set with resolve as her anger at the situation started to displace her anxiety of being called into the office. It was time for her to go on the offensive and tell the administration in no uncertain terms that things were going to change. She hated bullies more than anything and that's what Kuno and the Horde were as far as she was concerned.

Tofu, Nikki and the police officers just shook their heads as Watanabe winced. As Deputy Headmaster, he was aware of the morning fights that had been going on every day before school started for the last month. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be much he could do about it since Headmaster Kuno had decreed his son could anything he wanted on campus so long as no one was seriously injured or killed.

"Simply put, the Hentai Horde is a group of fifty boys who mob a single girl every morning before school for the expressed purpose of defeating her in combat in order to win a date, though I suspect many wouldn't stop there," Ranko said as she glared at the adults with contempt, anger leaking into her voice as her magic began churning wildly within her body. Glancing at her sister's adoptive mother, the sorceress continued pointedly, "An organization _your_ son is a member of. Yes, I did in fact say those words to him in order to give him a chance to escape the Horde's fate because he is Reiko's brother. Not that he deserved it, considering his part in the psychological, mental and emotional trauma he and the rest of those perverts have inflicted upon my best friend, Akane Tendo. You, Kimura-sensei, know better than most just how damaging prolonged psychological and emotional trauma can be."

Nikki winced at that and nodded.

"Akane has been nearly destroyed by this organization and yet the administration and police have done _nothing_," Ranko growled in a scathing tone as she glared at the three men, her dark aura beginning to flicker into the visible spectrum as her eyes darkened until they were their alternate reddish-purple color. The adults gasped in shock at the changes along with the teenager's tone as the redhead continued angrily, "Since nothing was being done and I have the power to stop it, I did."

"Easy Ranko-chan," Tofu interjected softly even though he sympathized with his friend's attitude. He found it interesting the girl seemed to have gained control of her magical abilities and saddened she hadn't seen fit to inform him of the change. He knew they would need to have a long talk about using power responsibly.

"No Sensei, they need to understand exactly what they've allowed to fester," the sorceress said with a shake of her head as her aura died down. "Watanabe-sensei, you are the Deputy Headmaster. One of your chief responsibilities is the safety of the students is it not?"

"It is."

"Then why the hell have you allowed the attempted gang rape of my best friend for weeks? WEEKS! Why the hell aren't they in jail for sexual assault?" Ranko shouted as she surged to her feet, her dark aura exploding violently around her body as the room started shaking from her uncontrolled rage. Everyone could feel the blistering heat radiating from her body and backed away in fear. "I will _not_ stand idly by while my best friend is victimized! If _you_ won't act to stop the attacks, I will. I can promise you this; if the Horde persists I will hit them even harder and you can be sure there _will_ be far more serious injuries than a few measly broken bones."

"Ranko-chan," Tofu said softly as he braved his friend's dark aura and tried to rest a hand on the redhead's shoulder. He could feel the heat radiating off the girl's body as though she were a blast furnace. When his hand made contact, he hissed in pain and quickly withdrew his hand as he stared at her in shock. It wasn't just heat radiating off her body, it was honest to kami fire!

"Headmaster Kuno went on sabbatical to the United States a couple of years ago," Watanabe said nervously as he tried to edge away from the incensed girl standing in front of him. "Before he left, he declared his son immune to school rules when it came to fighting on campus. The Deputy Headmaster at the time tried to contest the policy and found himself fired the very next day. Until the Ministry of Education replaces Headmaster Kuno themselves, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."

"And _why_ hasn't Headmaster Kuno been replaced after being gone for two years?" Ranko growled as she tried to calm herself down. Burning down the man's office wouldn't get her what she wanted. In fact, it would only make things worse because then she could be legitimately charged with arson and destruction of property, not to mention reckless endangerment.

"I don't know."

"And you never thought to find out," the redhead sneered with contempt and shook her head in disgust as her flaming aura began to die down. "Fine, even if you can't touch Kuno for whatever stupid reasons you think are important, what does that have to do with the mob of boys who have been attacking Akane every morning for weeks? You know, the whole reason I was asked to come to your office in the first place?"

"I don't appreciate your tone young lady," Watanabe growled now that his student's fear inducing aura was diminishing.

Ranko just shrugged and replied flippantly, "There's nothing wrong with my tone when _you're_ the one who's allowed fifty boys to sexually harass a student for weeks on end. The police should've been called the first time it happened and the boys involved arrested, no exceptions. You've failed Watanabe-sensei and you don't deserve to remain in charge of children."

The police officers looked thoughtful at that for a few moments before nodding their heads in agreement.

"You can be certain I will be writing the Ministry of Education about this," Nikki said coldly as she glared at the Deputy Headmaster before walking over to her adoptive daughter's older sister and wrapping an arm around the teenager's shoulders.

"As will I," Tofu chimed in as he too walked up to his friend and laid a gentle hand on the girl's shoulders.

Watanabe sighed heavily and nodded his head. He couldn't be angry with the girl, not really. The redhead was right; he had failed rather spectacularly when it came to safe guarding one of his students and stopping the madness that had been plaguing his school in the mornings. Perhaps it was fortunate Ranko had decided to act against the Horde in a manner he could not. According to the injury report he'd reviewed earlier, they'd have to be complete idiots to try again given the severity of the attack.

"Saotome-san, I will not expel you for your attack nor for the property you damaged this morning," the administrator said softly. "It shames me to know that I've allowed such a horrible situation to continue. I can't change my previous actions, but I can promise you I'll do a much better job in the future. I think my first order of business will be to contact the parents or guardians of every boy involved in that mess and letting them know what their child has been up to. I will also sentence them to in-school suspension and they can start by repairing the crater you made this morning. Will this be satisfactory?"

"I hope so," Ranko answered quietly as she look down at the floor, her eyes beginning to shimmer with unshed tears. "Watanabe-sensei, I just want you to know that I really don't enjoy hurting other people. I'm generally a very gentle and caring person but make no mistake, I _will_ do what I feel is necessary to defend my friends and loved ones as well. If the Horde gives up and starts leaving Akane alone, I'll leave them alone, simple as that."

Watanabe just nodded as one of the officers turned towards her and said, "Saotome-san, ordinarily you would be up on charges for assault with intent to cause grievous injury and destruction of property. We'll let you off with a warning, this time, due to extenuating circumstances but this had better not happen again."

"Yes Officer. Thank you sir," the sorceress replied with a bow.

The officer just nodded before motioning for his partner to follow and the two of them left the room.

"Watanabe-sensei," the redhead started as she sat back down and dried her eyes. When the man looked at her, she continued, "I know the purpose of this meeting was to deal with what happened this morning with the Horde and their punishment but I'm curious, what's to be done about Tatewaki Kuno himself? He's the one who set everything in motion, he should be held accountable for his actions as well."

"Until Headmaster Kuno is removed, I'm not sure what I can do Saotome-san," the administrator said gently as he rubbed his tired eyes. "Rest assured, he will be dealt with but for the moment, my hands are tied, I'm sorry."

Ranko considered the man's words for a few moments before her mouth twisted into a smirk as she asked in a feral tone, "Considering he constantly harasses Akane, not just in the mornings like the Horde, but every time he sees her, would I get in trouble if I were to put him in the hospital for a couple of weeks until a more permanent solution presents itself?"

"Saotome-san," Watanabe groaned tiredly as he sighed in exasperation, "I thought you said you were a gentle soul and didn't like harming other people."

"I am, and I don't, but Kuno is actually worse in that he's the ringleader," the sorceress said softly, her smirk disappearing. "Besides, what kind of message does it send when the followers are punished, both publicly and privately, but the leader is not? Honestly, I don't believe that's a precedent you wish to set sir."

The balding older man looked thoughtful for several minutes as he considered his student's words. It was true; he really couldn't punish the Horde for its despicable behavior without punishing its leader for even worse offenses. The problem was they needed time. Time to oust Headmaster Kuno from his position of authority before any real meaningful change could be implemented. Then again, what if the police were stationed at the school; they would be authorized to arrest offenders…

"Thank you for coming Ono-sensei, Kimura-sensei," Watanabe said kindly as he stood. Turning towards the redhead, his voice hardened as he continued, "Saotome-san, I highly _suggest_ you take the rest of the day to reflect upon your actions. If you're going to remain a student at this institution, you can't just go around hurting other students and destroying school property. If you find you cannot restrain yourself, I'm afraid there will be no place for you at this school. Now go, and think about what I've said."

Knowing a dismissal when they heard one, Tofu, Nikki and Ranko bowed with respect and left the room.

* * *

"Ranko-chan, I want to thank you for telling me about my son's involvement in this whole mess," Nikki said once the three of them had left the administrative offices and started walking towards the front gates of the school. "You can imagine I was quite upset when I learned you were the one responsible for his injuries, but I also understand why you felt you had to do what you did. Kenji will have to learn to face the consequences of his actions, something I honestly believed he had learned already but apparently not. The doctors aren't sure whether he'll ever regain full use of his right arm. It's very likely he will never pitch again."

"I'm really sorry Auntie, it hadn't been my intention to ruin his life despite the fact he deserved to be punished," Ranko said in a somber tone as she stopped beside the crater she had made in her anger several hours earlier. While she still couldn't remember every detail of the attack, just as she hadn't in Jusenkyo when she had attacked her father, there was no denying the injuries and destruction had been caused by her hand.

The elder Kimura folded the redhead in her arms and gently rubbed the smaller girl's back as she whispered, "You have nothing to apologize for honey. The whole situation is sickening and Kenji brought it upon himself, just like the rest of them. They knew what they were doing was wrong and yet did it anyway. Ichiro and I taught him better than that."

While the women talked quietly, Tofu was busy examining the ten-foot diameter crater and couldn't help but worry at the teenager's apparent bi-polar temperament. Ranko was such a sweet and gentle soul, at least when she wasn't protecting friends and family. In a perceived attack however, the girl was a raging inferno of destruction and capable of administering harsh retribution should she feel the situation warrants it. A true guardian angel if he ever saw one and it reminded him of another girl with similar traits, Akane Tendo. He knew he and Nikki would need to speak with her about her powers and what they could do to help her learn to control them before she accidentally killed someone in her rage.

"Ranko-chan, I'm really worried about you," Nikki said gently as she continued to comfort the smaller red-haired girl in her arms. "I think we need to go home, have some lunch, and then have a session with Tofu-kun in attendance as well. I want the three of us to discuss what happened this morning, not just your actions and their effects, but your thoughts and feelings on the matter as well. You mentioned something about magic Saturday evening but with everything that's been going on lately we've never spoken of it in greater detail. Given what has happened this morning and within the Deputy Headmaster's office several minutes ago, I think we really need to address it."

"Kimura-san is correct Ranko-chan, the three of us really need to talk about your powers and what happened today," Tofu said gravely as he walked up to the hugging women. "At first, I thought you had gained control of your abilities and didn't tell us. Now, I'm under the impression that you still cannot. This needs to change or you may very well wind up accidentally killing someone next time."

"I… I know…" the sorceress stuttered as she stepped back and stared at the crater in shame. "I told Akane about this earlier and she suggested we talk to you this afternoon, see if you had any ideas. You're right, both of you, I _do_ need to talk to you about these powers…"

The Elder Kimura softened her voice even more and said, "You're not in a good place right now honey, both emotionally and psychologically, with everything that's been going on lately. We, that is Tofu-kun and I, probably shouldn't have had you start school for at least another week in order to give you the chance to settle in and adapt to your new circumstances."

"I know Watanabe-sensei told me to take the rest of today, but should I return tomorrow or wait until Monday?" Ranko asked as she turned to look at her surrogate mother, her deep blue eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Let's see how you feel after our session," Nikki replied as she laid a hand on her daughter's sister's shoulder. "Ichiro and Kenji are still at the hospital and I suspect they'll remain there for quite some time. Jiro and Reiko have been informed but are still at school and won't return until this afternoon."

The redhead nodded her head in acceptance and said, "Before we go, can I let my friends know I'm okay and just taking the rest of the day off? I'm afraid they'll worry needlessly otherwise."

Nikki and Tofu glanced at one another and nodded. "That'll be fine sweetheart," the Kimura woman said gently.

* * *

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* * *

Akane looked up from her essay when she sensed her new friend's presence moments before she heard the door to her classroom open. She couldn't help but smile brightly when the petite redhead walked into the room. Something felt off though and when she realized the girl wasn't carrying anything but a folded piece of paper she couldn't help but wonder whether her friend had been expelled.

"Sorry to interrupt Sensei, but I have a letter I'd like to give to my friends so they won't worry," Ranko said quietly as she walked up to Akane's desk and handed the girl a folded piece of paper.

"Saotome-san, why aren't you rejoining class?" Taruka-sensei asked with a raised eyebrow as she studied her newest student.

"Um, Watanabe-sensei felt I should take the rest of the day off in light of what happened," the redhead answered softly as she looked down at the floor in shame.

"But you were just trying to help me!" Akane injected heatedly. "Besides, those stupid perverts had it coming."

Ranko frowned as her friend revealed the fact she had been responsible for the morning's attack. Realistically, everyone probably already knew anyway simply because nothing like it had ever happened prior to her starting school the day before. Shaking her head to clear it, the sorceress said, "It's alight Akane-chan, really, just read the note and you'll understand. I'll most likely be at Tofu-sensei's later if you want to stop by after school. If I'm not, it means I'm still at Auntie Nikki's house and I'll see you either tomorrow or Monday. Bye-bye."

"Bye Ranko-chan," Akane, Yuka and Sayuri chorused as they watched their friend leave before turning back to the letter in the ravenette's hand.

"Oh, go on, you might as well read it now since you're just going to do it anyway," Taruka-sensei said with mock exasperation as she turned back to the papers she still needed to grade.

The three girls flashed their instructor a smile before moving their desks where they could all read it simultaneously.

.

_To my dearest friends,_

_First, I want to assure you that while my meeting with the Deputy Headmaster was tense, I don't think anything negative will come of it. In fact, I believe it may have been necessary for real and meaningful change to come to Furinkan. Watanabe-sensei seemed quite contrite when he realized exactly what Kuno and the Hentai Horde have been doing to you each morning Akane-chan. I still find it odd I wasn't expelled, or worse arrested, for my violent attack upon the Horde this morning but I'm not about to question it either._

_I know you all have questions and I'm sure you're curious about how things went in the Deputy Headmaster's office this morning. I'm afraid that's not something I am prepared to talk about right now, at least not until I've had a chance to discuss the matter with Auntie Nikki and Tofu-sensei. It's certainly not something I want to describe in a letter. I promise I'll tell you, I just need some time to reflect upon the situation and it's something I would much rather do in person. Maybe we can discuss it over ice cream or something._

_Sayuri-chan, Yuka-chan, I'm going to tell you what I told Akane earlier, that way all of you are up to speed. While my father and I were in China on our decade long martial arts training trip, we stumbled upon this bizarre training ground named Jusenkyo. Now, I know you two think Akane and I are a little crazy, being involved with martial arts, but this takes crazy to a whole new level of insanity. Think Kuno-senpai level of insanity. _

The girls stopped reading and giggled quietly for a few moments before resuming.

_Anyways, the valley was beautiful with a hundred springs spread throughout the area. There was a fine mist hugging the ground and dozens upon dozens of bamboo poles stuck out from the springs. Now, the reason it's considered a training ground is because of those poles. The idea is to jump from one pole to another in order to work on your aerial maneuvering and balance. The Saotome School of Anything Goes martial arts, the sister branch to Akane's school, is based heavily on mid-air combat. My father, being the idiot he is and me, the idiot I sometimes can be, decided to have a sparring match atop the poles over the springs._

_You might think, 'oh, no big deal if you fall, you just get wet'. Believe me, we had assumed the same thing and because of that, we didn't really listen to the guide when he tried to warn us about the place. You see, the springs themselves are the problem. Each spring has a unique effect upon anyone who happens to fall in them._

_When it happened to me, I lost nearly all of my martial arts abilities. Without getting too technical, advanced martial artists are capable of tapping into a source of energy within them called chi. Every living creature possesses some measure of chi, though most do not have enough to do anything significant with it nor do they learn how to use it. I used to be one of the few who not only could, but did on a regular basis. Now, I'm closer to you two, Yuka-chan and Sayuri-chan, as far as my chi level goes. Akane-chan, you have a decent chi level and that's something we'll be discussing in the future with your training._

_Fortunately, or unfortunately, in exchange for my chi I gained a different type of energy called mana. While I was visiting a nearby village, one of the elders told me I had become a sorceress. Despite having happened over a month ago, I still can't control my magic despite trying numerous meditation techniques. So far, the only times it has manifested itself is when I'm really upset or angry like this morning with the Horde. _

_I can only hope some good came of my reckless and violent attack this morning but to be honest, I'm scared. Scared of what I might become if I can't learn to control both my emotions and my powers. I just hope I haven't ruined our friendship._

_With love,_

_Ranko_

_._

"Ruin our friendship?" Sayuri whispered incredulously as she stared at the last part of the letter in shock. "Why would she think that?"

"Ranko has been through a lot the last several days," Akane replied in a low tone. "I can understand why she would be worried about your reactions."

"Ours… What about yours?" Yuka asked softly with a raised eyebrow.

"Remember where she mentions telling you that she had told me earlier?" the ravenette asked quietly as she pointed towards a certain paragraph in the letter. At both of her friends' nods, she continued, "Ranko was upset with what she had done and talked to me about it for a bit before class. That's when she told me what had happened to her while she was in China.

"Along with coming to terms with her new powers and unable to gain control of them," Akane continued softly, "Her mother rejected her and threw her out of the house." At her friends' gasps, she nodded solemnly and whispered, "Ranko hadn't seen the woman for more than ten years. Can you imagine that? Knowing your mother is still alive, her living nearby and wanting nothing to do with you?"

"Poor Ranko, no wonder she's worried we would reject her," Yuka whispered sadly as her eyes began to sting.

"I can't imagine my mother hating me so much as to throw me out of the house," Sayuri said in a low tone as she thought about the vivacious girl. "How can she be so upbeat and cheerful? I'd have thought she'd be miserable without her family."

"Fortunately for her, she does have family," the Tendo heiress replied quietly as her face split into a huge smile. "After Tofu-sensei took her in so she wouldn't have to live on the streets, she was able to meet her younger sister Reiko. I haven't met her yet, but according to Ranko the girl is eight years old and essentially her twin other than physiological differences due to age. Ranko told me she wanted us to meet the girl this coming weekend."

"I'd love to meet mini-Ranko," Yuka whispered with a matching smile while Sayuri nodded her agreement.

"Hey, do you think we could have a sleep-over at my house this coming weekend?" the chestnut haired girl softly asked her two friends. "I'm sure my mother wouldn't object and Ranko could use something to take her mind off things for a bit I'm sure."

"Not sure how comfortable Reiko would be around a bunch of teenagers," Akane mused aloud as she tapped her chin with a forefinger. "In either case, we'll need to talk to Ranko about it. She may not be able to come."

"We'll need to set some time aside this weekend and help her catch up, especially in Algebra," Sayuri said quietly as she glanced at the half written essay on her desk. "Otherwise, she's going to be even more confused when we start quadratic equations next week."

"I feel sorry for her," Yuka said softly as she shook her head sadly. "I mean, high school is tough enough for regular kids. She's been isolated from her peers for over ten years, attending school sporadically, if at all, and is missing most of the background information and socialization we've all gone through. She might not be able to catch up before the end of first term…"

"She'll catch up before then," Akane countered in a low tone as her eyes burned with determination.

"How can you be so sure?" the brown haired girl whispered with a raised eyebrow.

"Call it a feeling, a hunch, I don't know. I can't quite explain it, but for lack of a better word, I just _know_," the ravenette replied quietly as she pondered the two instances within the last twenty-four hours where she'd felt _something_ pass between the two of them. She knew something had changed, as she'd been able to sense Ranko presence before the girl walked into their classroom several minutes ago. There was also the fact she was certain she'd heard her friend's voice in her mind on her way to school before the Horde was decimated in the morning attack.

"You like her, don't you," Sayuri teased quietly as she studied her dark-haired best friend.

"Of course I do, she's really sweet and friendly, if a little shy-," Akane said softly, her voice taking on a dream-like quality as she started imagining the two of them together.

"No, I mean _like_ her like her, as in you want to-," the chestnut haired girl whispered conspiratorially as her lips curled into a smirk and her gleaming brown eyes became more predatory.

"WHAT?!" Akane shouted indignantly, her face heating up and turning bright red as a massive blush spread across her body.

"Shh," Taruka-sensei admonished as she looked up from her paperwork. "Girls, you're supposed to be working on your essays. I allowed you to read Saotome-san's letter because I knew you would do it anyway, but now is the not the time for you to gossip."

"Yes Sensei," the trio chorused dutifully.

Akane buried her head in her arms, hoping her blush would fade before her hair caught fire. Was she interested in Ranko? Of course, who wouldn't be? The girl was simply gorgeous. The problem was she had no idea whether the exotic redhead was interested in girls. Ranko had given her no indication she might be interested the night before, but then, neither had she. It was common knowledge Japanese society looked down upon those that were different.

* * *

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* * *

**_Author's Notes: _**

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it. _

_Publish Date: April 1st__, 2020_


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